Daughters of the Queen Sequel : Blood of my Heart
by Pagan Twylight
Summary: Book III in The Tok'Ra Legacy Series A discovery leads SG1, Tok'Ra, and Furlings to messages left by Egeria. It could mean the salvation of the Tok'Ra if they beat the Goa'uld to it. SamMarLan, DanOC, MalekOC Seq to Malek's Story and Blood of My Heart
1. Ancient Ruins, Ancient Dialects 1 DOTQ

_**Story Summary:** A discovery on a distant planet leads, SG1, the Tok'Ra and the Furlings on a hunt that could ensure the survival of the Tok'Ra._ Egeria left her children a message in a Furling temple. Now all they have to do is figure out exactly what the messages mean and where they will lead them…and do it before the System Lords discover the secret and destroy all hope of the Tok'Ra's survival forever…

(If you have not read Blood of My Heart, Beloved of My Soul, you can probably still read this, but there will be things that may be confusing…I've tried to put in enough that it can be read as a stand alone.)

**Rating:** This will be moved into the M category later.

**Pairings:** Sam/Martouf/Lantash Daniel/Other Janet/Merdwin Jacob/Other Malek/Gwennetha

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**_Chapter One Summary:_**_ SG-1, which now contains Martouf/Lantash, and Ellen Stevenson go on a mission to a planet that is not on the cartouche. The discovery of a Temple with writing they can't identify from the pictures the M.A.L.P. sends back leads SG-1 to go and explore it. When they arrive, they find it is an ancient Furling Temple - and it has a guardian who is not happy to see at least two members of their party. Lantash is brought near death, as Daniel struggles to explain who they are. Discoveries are made by both sides in the ensuing conversation. _

**_Characters: _**_Jack, Teal'c, Daniel, Martouf/Lantash, General Hammond, Original characters-SGC and Furling, Others_

**_Rating this chapter:_**_ PG _

**_Pairings:_**_ None _

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communication_

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**_Won 2006 Isis Award: Series_**

This is the Sequel to Blood of my Heart, Beloved of my Soul, and/or Malek's Story. It is not necessary to have read Malek's Story. It is also not necessary to have read Blood of my Heart, but it makes many things much clearer.

**_Daughters of the Queen is Book III in The Tok'Ra Legacy Series_**

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**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter One_**

**_Ancient Ruins, Ancient Dialects_**

* * *

"Well, campers are we ready to head out?" Jack asked, as Major Martouf Lantash of the USAF and Dr. Daniel Jackson, SG-1's archaeologist joined the rest of the team in the gate room.

Standing to one side was a rather nervous Lieutenant Ellen Stevenson. This team rescued her a little over seven months ago, and now she was on temporary assignment with them. The last one of many, as no one seemed to suit the Colonel. General Hammond made the decision that he wanted a fifth person on the team, until the new Major Lantash became fully integrated and possibly beyond. More than that, he wanted his _flagship_ team to have the same mix it had before, as far as possible.

Ellen was an astrophysicist, but not, she knew, on Major Carter's level. She knew she would be off the team by the end of the mission, but for one brief moment, she would be walking in the footsteps of Major Samantha Carter. The shoes were way too big for her to fill, but it was a thrill being here nonetheless.

Jack's voice brought her back to her surroundings and away from the past. "Glad you finally decided to join us, Dr. Jackson," Jack drawled in his best sarcastic, where have you been, voice.

"Sorry, Jack, I was looking for my book on the language of the Ancients. I told you I could not identify the writing on the stone because we could not get a clear enough image of it, but it seemed familiar to me, and I am taking that book just in case it _is_ Ancient. Looking up from securing his sidearm, he looked directly at her and smiled, "You're Ellen Stevenson, aren't you? I'm Daniel. Daniel Jackson. It's good to see you up and around."

"Thank you, Dr. Jackson. If it wasn't for all of you, I wouldn't be here today. I've never really had a chance to thank all of you, so since you are all here together, I would like to do so. I—I am very grateful for everything you all did that day," she blushed nervously as she proffered her thanks to them. _The premier team…what was she doing here?_

Daniel shrugged, uncomfortable with being thanked, but said, "Hey, no problem. Glad we were all there that day to help."

Jack looked over then and gazed intently at the young woman he had strenuously attempted to keep off this assignment. "You were captured about seven months ago. Glad to see you back on active duty," he offered gruffly.

"Yes, sir, I was and thank you, sir. The Tok'Ra used the healing device on my injuries and kept me from ending up with a medical discharge. I am very grateful to them. I've agreed to be a host if they ever need one in a hurry." _You are babbling, shut up!_ _At least her internal sensor was working._

Jack stood in shock and looked at the young woman who had made that announcement so calmly. "Why?" he asked bluntly.

Ellen blushed again, and then, at least outwardly calm, she responded, "Because they were kind to me, and they need our help as much as we need theirs. They helped me stay in a job I love, and one of the women, Calise, and I became really good friends. I like them, and I believe in what they are fighting for, otherwise I wouldn't be in the SGC. We want the same thing. I think the experience would be enlightening. There are many reasons, sir. Maybe one of the biggest is that I would never be alone again."

"I see. Well, you and Marty here should get along great. He is a sn, er, Tok'Ra," he said, as he turned to the sound of the chevrons locking in place, glad he had kept his foot out of his mouth this time.

Changing the subject, he turned and asked, "What exactly is it that we are going to PA4-2-whatever to do, Daniel?"

"The gate is inside what looks to be a very old and deserted temple. There are numerous writings on the walls, but I can't make out what they are. This particular world is not on the Abydos cartouche, so we are hoping the Goa'uld don't know about it at all. If we don't find any evidence of them being there and the writing is Ancient, then we could find some interesting stuff there," Daniel finished saying, as the wormhole whooshed towards them. "It could be very important, Jack."

"Big honkin' space guns, Daniel?" Jack asked, going straight to what interested him the most.

"Don't know, but if not, then maybe some technology or information on how to build one."

"M.A.L.P.'s still showing all clear, sir," Sergeant Davis informed him from the control room.

"You have a go, Colonel. See you in five days. Check in, twenty-four hour intervals," General Hammond said, as they headed up the ramp. Jack sent him a lazy salute and a grin before plunging into the event horizon. Five days for an archaeological excursion? That was almost forever. Good thing he remembered his yo-yo among other things. He would about bet that Teal'c had a book along, too.

As the five exited the wormhole on the other side, balmy temperatures and dust greeted them. There was lots and lots of dust. Daniel sneezed and reached for an allergy tablet. If it was not pollen, it was dust. Thank Janet for always being sure he had extra tablets with him. The _FRED_ came through behind them; a switch from their usual procedures but after being late, Daniel had been in a hurry and had beaten it up the ramp. He was already at a wall and examining it.

"Don't touch anything, Daniel. Remember? Wait until you know for sure what it is before you go touching it," Jack reminded his friend. He had lost track of the times they had a problem because _one_ of them, he was honest enough to admit it was not _always_ Daniel, touched something, before knowing what it did. Moreover, Carter was not here to figure out how to help them, if something went wrong.

God, he missed her. Six months without her, and still there was an ache that would not go away. And, if he missed her this much, it must be hell for these two men, one of whom was one of his dearest friends, and one who was becoming a friend faster than Jack would have believed possible considering what he was.

He had to admit that Daniel and Martouf were doing better than anyone had thought they would. They came into work one day about three months ago and it was as if they suddenly decided that they had a life to live and they were going to do so. Not that they were suddenly cheerful or anything, but something happened between them. It was as if all three of them came to a conclusion, and from that day on, they appeared to be on the road to recovery.

_Appeared_ being the operative word, so to speak. They hadn't really recovered, of course. Jack still saw it from time to time. Malek, Jacob, sometimes, but not often, Jocasta, and Brialek began spending downtime with the Tau'ri. Quite often, the seven of them ended up at someone's house. If it was not his home then it was Martouf or Daniel's place. He saw it more often at those times. There was the sudden indrawn breath, the far away lost look in their eyes, the sudden clenching of a jaw, a fist, a tightening of lips, a longing look at the portrait of Carter or Kataya. No, they were not really over it, but they were trying to get on with their lives, as they had promised they would, and they were doing a pretty good job.

He left the two of them together whenever possible on missions. Lantash was more than capable of taking care of the two of them. As long as they did not touch something, they should not that was. He would have to remind them again before he left them in here alone. Not that it looked like they could find anything much to cause them trouble. There was nothing here but a fountain that was not working, and the writing on the walls. Good, maybe it was a safe place for Daniel to be in, for once. He grinned to himself as his mind went back to his previous thought and he began repeating, _"the writing on the walls"_…it sounded like a good title for a song; it would make a great country song. Teal'c would love it. Hmm...come to think of it, there probably already was a country song about it. He would ask Teal'c. He'd probably know. He sighed, left his ruminations, even though they were more fun, and moved back into "soldier" mode.

"Lieutenant Stevenson, Teal'c, you're with me. The three of us will secure the perimeter, while these three go about their, um, mystery solving," Jack taunted, with a teasing look at Daniel, who did not appear to notice. He sighed again. It was no fun to tease Daniel when he didn't pay attention.

"Do you not wish me to help you, Colonel O'Neill?" Lantash came forward to ask, puzzled by Jack's attitude, as usual. He didn't understand why he so often left him with Daniel, Jack knew. Well someday, maybe when he had one too many beers, he would tell him that he trusted Lantash to look after Daniel and Martouf. Looking into his quizzical gaze, he thought that maybe he would do it before then, but not right now. There were too many witnesses.

"No, you'll be of more use in here helping Daniel. This place seems placid, and there looks to be a lot of stuff to look at on the walls. It will put your knowledge of languages and history to good use. If we need you, we'll call, never fear."

"As you wish, Colonel," Lantash said.

Jack nodded at him, replying, "We'll look around outside to see if there is anything out here needing a look-see by the three of you. Just be sure you don't touch anything," he reminded them, yet one more time, before finally walking through the door and out into the sunshine. One thing about it, the weather was beautiful, and the area around the temple was, too.

Taking him at his word, Lantash nodded his head in acknowledgement and then walked to the far wall to begin running his hands over the writing and symbols on the wall. He stopped almost immediately. These writings were not Ancient. Nor were they Goa'uld, Nox, or Asgard. They were a very ancient dialect of a language that he knew well in its modern form. However, he had never been able to understand any of the ancient forms of it, and this one, if he remembered correctly from what Kataya had once shown him, was one of the oldest known to them.

These writings were quite ancient Furling. However, there was something odd about the writing. Frowning, he looked closely at it. It almost looked as if someone wrote some of it at a later date, but wanted it to blend in, as if it was always there. _ "I believe you are correct, Lantash. There is definitely something "off" about the writing on this wall. I wonder if that is significant? I would think it probably is, but I have no clue as to what that significance could be,"_ Martouf said quietly.

_"I believe it is all the same language but you are correct and something about it simply does not feel right to me, either,"_ Lantash agreed with him. As he stood staring at it, he became lost to the world around him. He frowned as he attempted to translate even one word of this. It would take months to get even a start on it. Slowly, he became aware of Daniel's voice calling to him.

"Lantash. Lantash, what's the matter? Can you read this?" Daniel, asked, as he looked at his friend's face and saw recognition there.

Lantash slowly shook his head no. "I cannot read any of it. You however may know it, Daniel. In fact, you should know it quite well."

"Well, I don't. It looks very familiar, but I just can't place it, and I can't read it. Well, I can't read more than a word or two. At least, one or two of the symbols sort of cause words to pop into my head."

"And, what are those words, Daniel? Lantash asked quietly.

"Well, of all things, when I look at this one, I think of the word hidden. This one says joining. That one up there is, I think Royal or Royalty. Or maybe Queen," he frowned as he looked at it and then shook his head. "I am wondering if this is a place where some royal family came to be married or something. However, I don't know why it would have to be hidden. We might want to bring Teal'c in to see if he recognizes any of this."

"Daniel, does it strike you that some of this writing is newer and some very, very old?" Lantash asked, suddenly. "It has been made to blend in as if it was all put here at one time, but I do not think it was. Furthermore, I believe that the words you read were all from the more recent writings."

Leaning in to look more closely, Daniel agreed. "Well, Jack was right about one thing. It is a mystery. And for some reason I feel like we need to solve it."

"I, too, feel this."

Watching Daniel shake his head, Lantash asked, "What is it, Daniel? What is wrong?"

"I still can't place the writing, and yet, it looks very familiar, as if I should just be able to read it," Daniel frowned at the wall and reached out to run his hands over the writing again, as he had been doing ever since they had arrived. Just as he did and felt in the Furling Temple they visited; the one where Kataya first made unknown contact with them.

Suddenly, looking over at Lantash, he said, "You said you recognized it, and that I should too. What language is it? Actually, I think I know now, but I want confirmation, if at all possible."

Lantash looked at him and then back at the wall. "It is a very ancient dialect of Furling, Daniel. I remember Kataya showing it to me once. If I am not getting things mixed up, then she said that this dialect was used almost at the beginning time, the Myst time."

Daniel stared at the wall and then shook his head. "I am drawing a blank as far as reading it, but my information on the Furling comes in sudden flashes, so something could still turn up. I do recognize it now as the same writing in the temple where the Prophecy of the All was. Let's go take a walk outside and let Jack know what we have found. It really is a shame that we can't contact Avilion. Merdwin or Artereos, either one, could probably read it as easily as if it was the one in use today."

"True," Lantash sighed, as they walked toward the front of the building. Neither of them was prepared for the force field that was over the doorway denying them access to the outside world.

"Crap, I wonder what we touched," Daniel said, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I do not know Daniel, but perhaps we should see if we can access the Chaappa'ai. If not, we could be in a very serious situation indeed," Lantash replied.

Turning and walking back toward the gate, they found another side of the force field just before they reached it. Frowning, Daniel walked back to the wall he had originally stopped to look at, and then proceeded to follow it until he again found a shield. It was over a large opening that should have led out into what was, or used to be, a garden.

He sighed in frustration, and then turned to watch as Lantash went through the same exercises on the other walls. It seemed they could access the walls and the writing, but no windows, doors, or the gate. Well, at least they had the _FRED_, so they had food. What he really wondered, though, was how he was going to explain this to Jack? With that thought in mind, he turned and headed back to the door through which Jack and the others had gone outside.

Looking out the doorway, he could not see them anywhere close by the front of the temple. Keying his radio, he called for Jack or Teal'c. He frowned when neither one of them answered.

"Why have you come with a Goa'uld to this temple?" Someone standing behind him asked.

Daniel whipped around at the sound of the voice. Confronting him was an exceedingly distressing sight. It was like something out of a nightmare. Martouf was on his knees and was obviously in intense pain from the beams of light coming from the device that the woman was aiming at his neck.

Daniel did not hesitate for as much as a second. He sprinted forward and tackled Martouf, knocking him away from the beam she was holding on him, only to find that it caught and held him. He could not move, but he was not in pain, as Martouf had so very obviously been. As he felt it let up a little, and breathing became easier, he saw Martouf struggling to get up and come toward him. "Stay back, Martouf. Do _not_ get back in this thing, it seems to cause you pain, but it doesn't me. So just stay away from it, okay?"

"Why do you protect the Goa'uld? You are his slave?"

"No, I am not his slave, and he is not a Goa'uld. He is a Tok'Ra."

"What is this _Tok'Ra_?"

"They are a res..."

"Daniel! We do not know to whom we are speaking." Turning to the woman, he asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You are the host?"

"Yes, I am the host. My name is Martouf. Lantash is the name of my symbiote, my mate. What have you done to him? He is not answering me. What have you done?"

"He is incapacitated. He will bother you no more."

"What have you done to him?" Martouf asked once again, as he started toward the woman. Lifting her other hand the ribbon device threw him against the wall, and he lay in a crumpled heap. As the pressure holding him eased more, Daniel finally managed to sit up and move slowly. The woman did not stop him from going to Martouf. Reaching him, he felt for a pulse. Thank god, there was one, but it was very weak and erratic.

Turning to the woman, who still held herself ready to use either weapon on them again, he said, "You have hurt them badly. Who are you and what do you want? We have done nothing to you. We have not harmed you or this place in any way, so why are you doing this? Why have_ you_ hurt _them_ when they have done _nothing_ to you?"

"I am one of the Guardians of this place, this Temple. The Goa'uld _must not_ come here. Why is he here, and how did he come? A Goa'uld would not have the ability to travel through this Portal."

"He came through the gate, just as we _all_ did. We are peaceful explorers," Daniel explained, while keeping his hand on Martouf's pulse. He was becoming more worried by the minute. "_We_ do not harm those who do _us_ no harm."

"The Portal would not allow a Goa'uld through. He could not have come through the Portal," she replied.

"We _all_ came by gate, _Portal_, whatever you wish to call it. Look, you have to do something; I think you may have killed Lantash."

"Lantash is the Goa'uld? He lives, but perhaps not for long. If he agrees to leave peacefully, we will send him to a Goa'uld world."

"Leave? Martouf will not allow him to leave; he would be devastated at the loss of his mate, and besides that, he is _not Goa'uld!_ How damn many times do I have to tell you that? _He is Tok'Ra! Tok'Ra!_ I told you. You have to help him. _Both _of them. You are the one that hurt them; you can use your ribbon device as a healing device and heal them, can't you? Well, can't you? Daniel demanded, as his fear for his brothers was causing him to become increasingly belligerent.

He drew a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Getting in her face angry was _not_ going to make the situation with her any easier or resolve it, and right now, he needed her abilities. Assuming and believing that she could reverse and repair whatever she did to them, of course, which he did. Martouf and Lantash were becoming progressively weaker. They were running out of time!

"I will not allow the Goa'uld to take control of the host. If I help both of them, then he must remain quiescent and allow the host to speak to me. This is acceptable to you?"

"Yes, Gods, yes. Do something," Daniel cried, as Martouf's pulse became even more erratic. "Lantash would allow Martouf to talk to you, anyway. This was totally unnecessary if you wanted to talk to Martouf. All you had to do was ask," Daniel's reply was both exasperated and desperate.

She did not answer Daniel's statements about Lantash. She simply stated, "You will move away, please. I will heal the host, and…" She paused frowning, and then added, "I will give the Goa'uld enough strength to survive for the time being."

Suddenly suspicious, Daniel started to question the being standing in front of him; however, she informed him before he could even form his sentence, "I give you my word; I will heal the host, and I will also see to it that the Goa'uld continues to live. I will not kill either of them, yet."

Daniel looked at them and then at her, before nodding and moving away.

"You do realize that Lantash won't realize he is supposed to stay quiet, and he will be quite angry and distressed that you have harmed Martouf, don't you? You have to let me explain to him."

"He will know. I will tell him myself," she said, as she raised her hand and played the beams of light across different parts of Martouf's body. Finally, she stopped and said, "Lay him face down, and I will repair the worst of the injuries to the Goa'uld."

"He is _not_ a Goa'uld," Daniel said again, as he went to Martouf and moved him, so that she would have access to his neck. "Martouf? Martouf, can you hear me?"

Pulling in a breath, Martouf said quietly, "I can, Daniel."

"Lantash? Is Lantash alright?" Daniel's voice showed his extreme worry over what was occurring.

"He is better, but he is still in pain and is not healed. He believes he is all right, for the moment, but he does not know for how long." Lying quietly for a few moments, while Daniel sat watching him anxiously, he finally started to talk again, softly, barely moving his lips, as if afraid to move too much. "His injuries are rather severe at this time, but no longer life threatening, if he can begin to heal himself. He does not know if he will be able to though, for the pain is quite intense. He also tells me that he is not allowed to speak, and that very likely he will be removed and sent to a Goa'uld world, if she does not kill him. She does not understand about the Tok'Ra. Daniel, if that happens, and they discover he is Tok'Ra, they will kill him. We cannot allow to that happen."

"Damn it, this is a Furling temple, how can Artereos permit this type of thing to occur? Kataya would be furious. Damn, I wish she was here." Daniel laughed harshly, and then added, "Yeah, well what else is new?"

"Of whom do you speak?"

"What do you mean? We were talking about Lantash. If you send him to a Goa'uld world, and they discover that he is Tok'Ra, they will kill him or torture him forever. He is our friend. You _must not_ do this to him, to us."

Moving slowly, Martouf finally managed to sit up with Daniel's help, and he looked at her, as he said, "I truly do not wish to part from my symbiote. He has been a good friend to me, for over a hundred years. I cannot be parted from him; it would cause me much grief." He tried to explain. Then he realized that she was walking around them and studying Daniel with a strange look on her face.

"Tell me, what is the name of this Kataya?" She asked, completely ignoring Martouf and Lantash, as if they were no longer important, or did not even exist.

Daniel frowned, but said, "Her name is Kataya of Cadwaellon. Why do you ask?"

"What is her full name?" The Guardian insisted.

Speaking quietly, Daniel asked, "Do you want her birth name?"

"Yes."

"Her name is _Kataya Morna'Catira of Cadwaellon_," He said, softly. "Do you know her?"

"How do _you_ know her?" The woman asked abruptly.

"She is my mate," Daniel said. "We have been mated for millennia."

"And what is _your_ true name? The name of your soul?"

"I am _Dayillon Percyvel of Alexandrian,_ though in this living, I am Daniel Jackson of the Tau'ri."

"Why does _Dayillon Percyvel of Alexandrian_ travel with a Goa'uld? And where is Kataya?"

Shaking his head and sighing deeply, Daniel tried again, saying, "He is _not_ _Goa'uld_. Gods, how many times do I have to tell you that?" Taking yet another deep breath, preparing for what would follow, he explained, his voice raw with remembered pain, "And as for Kataya, she is...she fell in battle six months ago." Martouf reached for him, squeezing his shoulder in silent understanding.

"Who did she battle that she would fall?" Her question was abrupt.

"Morgasha/Bastet."

"And Morgasha?" She wanted to know.

"Dead by Kataya's hand," Daniel answered brusquely.

"Then the prophecy is come to pass," she stated softly.

"Yes. It has," Daniel agreed, tiredly.

Turning, she moved the beams of light over Martouf's neck again, and then said, "I have healed him enough that he will not die at this time. I will return."

Daniel stared at the spot where the woman had been standing seconds before. "Martouf, did you see any type of transport beam or anything? Because, I didn't."

"I am sorry, Daniel; I was not watching," Martouf's voice came to him weakly from the wall he was now leaning on, after making his way to it.

He moved over to join them there, worry evident on his face. "Martouf, how is Lantash? Did she help him more, as she said she did?" Daniel asked, anxiously.

"She healed him enough that he believes he may be able to get beyond the pain, if he allows me to share it. I have told him to do so and to heal what he can, before she returns," Martouf gasped, as a shaft of pain went through him. "He—he is trying. He is in a great deal of pain. I am not sure what she did, but whatever it was it was not pleasant, and it is continuing."

"If they can do this to a Goa'uld, I don't know why they can't defeat them," Daniel said, not trying to hide the anger he was feeling.

"I would guess that it takes a great deal of their energy to do this. She would only be able to do it a few times before she was unable to do anymore. And it is one thing to do it to one, but another to fight off the army of Jaffa to get to the System Lord in question."

Daniel frowned, "She was surprised you came through the gate. Evidently, they do not expect Goa'uld to be able to access it. It must be similar to the one on Avilion. So what is she guarding? Something they do not want the Goa'uld to find that is for sure." He wondered aloud as he looked around the room.

"I—do not—know, Daniel," Martouf panted as the pain moved through his head again. Moaning he added, "Lantash does not—think he will—be able to—repair the rest of the damage. It is—exhausting him—just trying."

"Tell him to try just resting quietly," Daniel said softly. "Please, Martouf, tell him to stop trying if it is only making it worse."

"I have—Daniel. He is trying—to remain quiet—but it is hard because of the pain," Martouf moaned softly, before lying down.

Going to the _FRED_, Daniel grabbed a bedroll and took it back to put under his head. Shaking it out, he made a pillow for Martouf, as he said, "Where the hell did she go? Is it any better, Martouf?"

Lying completely still, eyes closed, Martouf said softly, barely breathing, "Yes, as long as neither of us move, it seems to let up. If you will remember, she said she had _incapacitated_ him. Evidently, as long as he does nothing to himself, or me, the pain lessens. I surmise it is a way to control him. If he does anything to me, the pain we experience is intense for both of us, and I believe the more pain he shared with me, the worse it got." Martouf opened his eyes, and moved his head slightly, then sighed. "It seems that as long as Lantash is not doing anything at all, I can move. However, since the pain was quite intense, I believe I will simply lie here for a short time."

Thinking about it for a moment, Daniel said, "So basically, the more pain the symbiote inflicts, or shares with the host, the more intense the pain becomes for him. The less he does, or interacts with the host, the less pain he feels. Positive reinforcement. You do not move; you do not feel pain. My guess is that it is probably pretty effective once the symbiote figures out what is happening. Just like Lantash did, once he realized that sharing the pain was making it worse, he attempted to stop it, and that took it away from you and lessened it considerably for him."

"Lantash agrees I believe, but he cannot even talk to me without the pain starting for him, Daniel."

"Wow, so that would make them a prisoner inside the host body. Of course, that makes sense. Remember, Thor told us—no you were not there—well anyway, Thor told us that the Furling can kill a Goa'uld that takes them as a host if they choose, but they do not have to. So they can actually control the symbiote." Daniel frowned as he tried to figure out the details. "But why is this happening to you? You are not Furling."

"I believe it has something to do with the injury she inflicted on Lantash. It has done something to the bond between us, to the nerve filaments he has sent into my brain. It has inflamed them or something, and he cannot use them. He has no way to communicate with me without them, so he cannot tell me if I am correct, but for some reason, I believe that I am."

"Well, it sounds logical to me. It isn't becoming worse, is it? Now that he has stopped trying to heal them? Daniel asked.

"I cannot tell, but it could be. He has not said anything at all to me, and at first, he was able to. I am wondering if it is a progressive thing where they become totally incapable of interacting."

"It makes sense, Martouf. It is the perfect prison for a Goa'uld. Trapped in the body they had trapped the person in. What could be more poetic justice?" Daniel asked.

"I—I am not sure what is going on, Daniel, but Lantash is trembling within me. Do you think he would feel you if you were to place your hands on him?" Martouf asked. "I am becoming more and more concerned for him. What if he is dying and I cannot let him know that I am here? Or what if he can no longer tell where he is, or what is happening to him?" Martouf questioned, as he began to think of the possibilities that were affecting Lantash.

"Just lie still, and I'll try to see if I can get through to him this way. Would it be better if I touched skin on skin? Should I just stoke your spine?"

"Yes, from the neck down, please," Martouf, answered. "You will have to use a slight pressure for him to feel you, if he can feel anything at all that is."

"All right. Tell me if it calms him, or makes it worse, okay?" Daniel asked, not sure if he would be making things better or worse.

"Yes, I will." Martouf assured him.

Daniel stroked firmly down Martouf's spine, and he realized that he, too, could feel Lantash tremble. As he stroked rhythmically, he became aware that it was lessening.

"He appears to be stopping, Daniel. I think it must be helping. Perhaps he does not feel so alone when he can feel your hands on him. If he is feeling this utter silence that I am experiencing, it must be terrible for him. I can at least hear and talk to you, even though I feel lost and alone inside," Martouf said, quietly.

"I think you are right, and he must be able to feel it. The trembling has lessened, but I will continue to stroke him, so he will know we are here. I just hope she gets back here soon and releases him," Daniel said, anxiously.

The woman suddenly appeared behind him. "I will do so now."

Daniel spun toward her, and said accusingly, "You left him in pain, and he can't talk to us. He is not used to being so alone."

"I had to ascertain if what you were telling me was truth," she said, as she used the healing device on the back of Martouf's neck. Soon it stopped, and she said, "I have blocked the pain, and he should be able to communicate with you now. It will take time to heal completely, but there is no permanent damage."

Turning to Martouf, she said, "You are a member of the race of small dragons that are fighting against your brethren, who are evil."

Martouf nodded tiredly, saying nothing aloud, as he carried on an internal conversation with his newly released friend.

"Yes. Yes, you finally got it," Daniel said, his relief evident. "But, if you are Furling, you should have known of the Tok'Ra." Daniel frowned, as he realized that and began to wonder who she was again.

"I have not been out into the universe for millennia. We rarely leave here, and when we speak to our families, this topic is not one that we would bother to discuss. There would have been no reason for it to have come up," she told him.

Bowing her head to them, she said to Martouf, "your small dragon may speak. This explains why you could come through the Chaappa'ai. I will leave you to finish your study of the writings. You will be quite safe here; I will protect you and your friends. They are now outside."

Turning back to Daniel, she said, "You will want to study these writings carefully, Dayillon of Alexandrian. There is much here that you and the small dragon shall wish to learn, for it may mean much to their future." As she bowed her head, Daniel and Martouf found themselves alone again.

"Is Lantash," Daniel started to ask, only to have him answer for himself.

"I appear to be fine, Daniel, thank you. A little tired, only."

Nodding, Daniel said, "Good."

Both men stood and walked to the door. Jack was outside a few feet from them. He was frowning. Looking up and seeing Daniel standing in the doorway he called, "Hey, did you just, like disappear, and end up talking to a woman in a green dress? 'Cause we seem to have been taken somewhere, and she was _not_ happy about junior, until we made her understand that Teal'c was on our side against the Goa'uld. She came back a minute ago, asked if we knew Kataya and Artereos, then she said to enjoy our stay, and we were back here. What the hell is going on, Daniel?"

"Well, evidently she is some kind of guardian of this place. If you think she was unhappy about junior, you should have seen how she felt about Lantash."

"Is he all right?" Jack asked sharply, obviously concerned.

"Yeah, she healed him and Martouf after she almost killed them both." Suddenly, Daniel was shaking; he sat down on the floor, and wrapped his arms around himself. "That was too damn close." He looked at Martouf, who was also pale, as they realized how close they had come to losing Lantash.

Lantash came forward to speak to him, "Daniel, I am a Tok'Ra soldier. I accept that I could die at any time, and that it could be because I have been mistaken for Goa'uld. I am sorry if it has upset you. Please. Both you and Martouf know that death could visit any one of us, at any time. We all must accept that fact, or stop going forth to fight them. We will only be safe on earth, and even that is not an absolute. A vehicle could run over us, we could fall down a stairway, or some other accident could befall us. Life has no guarantees. Of all people, we should know that for the fact that it is."

"You're right, Lantash, and I'm sorry. I think it is just because of Kataya and Sam, you know. I am okay now, and I know we have to accept that possibility."

_"I agree, Lantash, and I understand what you are saying,"_ Martouf assured him. _"Agreeing and understanding, however, does not mean I will not do everything I can to see to it that nothing happens to any of us."_

_"I will accept that, and I too will do everything possible to see to it that nothing happens to us. Any of us."_

"Daniel, are you okay?" Jack asked.

Getting to his feet, he nodded and said, "Yeah, Jack, I am all right. Just reaction setting in that's all. It was a _very_ close thing for a while. She really did almost kill them. I don't know what would have happened, if I had not mentioned Artereos and Kataya," Daniel said to him.

Jack said. "So, do we leave or what? She said we would be safe here, but if you're afraid she'll come back and do it again, we can go."

"I do not believe we should leave, Colonel. She said that we should study the writings here. She implied they would be important to both Daniel and I," Lantash replied.

"Well, if you're sure you three are okay; we'll go ahead and check the perimeter, like we started out to do. Hopefully, there aren't any more of them here."

"Well, she said she was one of the Guardians, but I would assume that she will let them all know we are here. If there are any others, that is," Daniel told him.

"We'll be back shortly. Keep your eyes open, don't touch anything, and try not to activate anymore Guardians," Jack said, as he turned and headed off again to try to check the place out.

Daniel turned back toward Lantash, and asked, "Are you sure you are okay? Do you want to sit or lay down for a while?"

Instead of answering Daniel's question, he nodded slightly and headed into the temple. Walking to the wall where the sleeping bag was laying, he leaned against it, and then slid down until he was sitting on the floor and resting his head against the wall, eyes closed. After sitting quietly for a moment or two, he said, "I do know that if all Goa'uld could undergo that procedure, I believe there might be fewer of them and more Tok'Ra."

Still speaking quietly, as if afraid of any loud noise, he continued, "It was a salutary lesson, I do believe. One I hope I never have to experience again. I was completely cut off from everything. There was no light, no sound, no anything. It was also extremely painful. It was—exceedingly uncomfortable. Every time I attempted to contact Martouf, the pain would come back."

"Soon, I gave up on that. Of course, all of that happened once I stopped trying to heal myself and share the pain with Martouf," he continued quietly, and it was obvious that the situation had been quite upsetting to him. "It was total sensory deprivation, and it was quite terrifying to think that I would be trapped there forever. I do not think I could have left Martouf if I had wanted to, Daniel. I was truly trapped, entombed in a dark, silent nothingness," he said tiredly.

Opening his eyes for a moment, he looked at Daniel, and said, "When you began to stroke me through Martouf's back, it was as if a lifeline had been thrown to me. It was the only sensation I could feel; the only indication that I was not in a black void where nothing except my mind existed. Thank you for that, Daniel. It was much appreciated both then and now," he said earnestly.

Smiling slightly, as he closed his eyes again, he said, "Now I know how Kataya controlled Kai Yua, Lord Yu's daughter."

"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked.

"Kataya hosted Lord Yu's daughter, for almost a year. It is the reason that Lord Yu will help them, if they request it. She could have killed her outright, but she did not, she took her as a symbiote instead, and subjected her to what a host is subjected to. They became friends eventually, since Kai Yua could only talk to Kataya, and only when Kataya allowed it. Kai Yua has an unusual relationship with her host, for a Goa'uld. Or so I have been told."

"I am afraid that the experience has left me feeling weak and tired. I am sorry to be so useless," Lantash said, as he sat motionless against the wall, his eyes still closed, as if it was too much effort to open them.

"Don't worry about it. Just sit there and rest for a while, okay?" Suddenly, Daniel grinned, "I don't suppose you noticed that Jack was concerned for you? He was truly worried, Lantash. I have known for a while that he was starting to like you, but this proves it."

Lantash smiled, tiredly, "I am sure you have misunderstood him, Daniel. He simply did not want to have to take care of me, or explain my demise to the Tok'Ra."

Daniel shook his head. "I have known Jack O'Neill for quite a while. I know him very well, and believe me; he likes you. He will not let it show most of the time, but I know that tone of voice, and I know what it means."

Sitting quietly, Lantash thought about Daniel's words before replying, "I have come to respect and like him, too, Daniel. In fact, should we not go out and help them?" Receiving no answer, Lantash said again, "Daniel?" before he forced himself to open his eyes and saw Daniel on his knees in front of the fountain, running his hands over the bottom and then removing some stones that he had not even realized were not part of the fountain. Lantash frowned. What was Daniel doing?

"Daniel? What is it? What are you looking at?" Lantash tried once again to get his attention.

"Lantash, are you well enough to come here?" Daniel asked, anxiously, yet with a quiver of excitement coursing though his voice.

"Certainly, if you need me," Lantash responded.

"It is not so much that I need you, as I think you may want to see this. We have to get video of every piece of writing in this place and put a priority on translating it," Daniel said firmly, the excitement definitely there, no longer an undertone.

Intrigued by the emphasis and firmness of Daniel's statement, Lantash stood, walked over, and knelt beside him, "What is it Daniel? What have you found?"

Daniel brushed away some of the centuries of dirt and dust that had fallen on the markings at the base of the fountain as he had removed the stones that had been concealing the writing.

Lantash looked down and read in Goa'uld, _"I leave this record so those of my surviving children, in the aftermath of the Great Battle, may find the daughters I have left for them. Egeria."_

TBC


	2. Hidden Hope 2 DOTQ

**_Chapter Two Summary: _**_Daniel and Lantash have made a startling discovery. As Lantash continues to recover, they come into contact with the woman in the green dress again and slowly begin to learn who she is, why she is there, and what the secret of this temple really is. They decide who in the Tok'Ra can be trusted to keep this secret and to their surprise, they are delivered to them. _

**_Amat - _**_Love_

**_Mer Prinekh - _**_Joined life. It is another more intimate name for My Lifemate used by both host and symbiote. Mer Prinekh is often used as a term of endearment and affection._

**_Carus – _**_Dear, Dearest_

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

**_Chapter Two_**

**_Hidden Hope_**

* * *

"Daniel," Lantash whispered hoarsely only to stop speaking, afraid to put any of his thoughts into words.

"It says what you think it does. No wonder the Guardians won't allow a Goa'uld within this place. If these writings are what I think they are, then any Goa'uld that could translate them could find and destroy the daughters of the Queen of the Tok'Ra," Daniel said quietly.

Lantash reached out a hand and with trembling fingers, he touched the words carved into the stone. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Kataya always told me that there were other Tok'Ra queens. She swore to Siesha that she would find one and return her to the Tok'Ra. She told me that she would take her as her own symbiote, if a host was needed. She promised that she would give birth to the next generation of Tok'Ra, if necessary," Lantash said softly, his mind in the past as he remembered his mate and her symbiote. "Of course, if Kataya comes back, that would be out of the question now, but at least I now know that her insistence that there were other Tok'Ra queens was based in more than wishful thinking. I wonder why Kataya never came here to find the answer to where they were? She searched many worlds looking for them, I know," Lantash said, sounding puzzled.

"She would not have known to come here," said a voice from behind them.

Spinning around to face the same woman they came into contact with before, Daniel asked, "Who are you? More than that, what do you know about this place and these writings? Why wouldn't Kataya know? And, why do you keep popping in and out like a Jack-in-the-Box?" Daniel fired his questions at her rapidly.

The woman smiled, amusement lighting her eyes. "My name is Valynara. I was a host of Egeria's at one time. I brought her here to teach her that which she must know that she might become the mother of the small dragons whose hearts were good," she responded to the first question he asked her.

"Then the legends that say that she did not like the way the System Lords treated their hosts are untrue," Lantash said quietly.

She shook her head, and responded to his comment, stating so firmly there could be no doubt, "No, they are correct. She did not like the way they treated their hosts. She asked my permission before we blended. However, she _was_ _Goa'uld_ and her natural arrogance tended to make her forget upon occasion that it was my body and not hers to do with as she wished. The majority of the time, we had a truly symbiotic relationship, and that is what she hoped to pass onto her children."

"So you never subjected her to what you subjected me to?" Lantash wanted to know.

Smiling as she remembered her Egeria's reactions, she shook her head again, telling him, "No, she was never subjected to what you were. However, I did one time cut her off from the ability to do anything other than what _I _wished and gave her no input into what occurred, what we did, where we went, what we ate, nothing. I suppose you could say that I put her in solitary confinement, although it was not quite as stringent as what I inflicted on you. I also pointed out that pain was usually added when the Goa'uld were in control and gave her a slight taste of what it would be like for the host. Needless to say, feeling as she did already, she was appalled by what I showed to her."

"You see, although she did not like what the System Lords did to their hosts, and she was beginning to realize they would never change, she still wavered at the thought of combating them. Up until then, her children were born knowing they should share the host body equally and treat them with respect. She would eventually have come to the conclusion that combat was the only way on her own, Lantash, I promise you. I simply, ah, encouraged a quicker recognition of what steps it would take to accomplish her desires. After her experience with me, she felt much more strongly that they must change the way they treated their hosts. She tried once more to talk to them, but when none would listen to her, she set herself to become the mother of a new race of Goa'uld. She decided that she would birth a race that would put a stop to the present System Lords and their ways. This I know from her return to us here. By then she had a new host. I could not remain with her as she attempted to change them, you see, for as a Furling, I was a sworn enemy of theirs; they would have attempted to execute us immediately."

Sadness was in the woman's face as she continued. "By the time she returned to us they were actively hunting her. She populated several worlds with her offspring, but she had no way to know what would occur when they matured enough to take a host. She could only assume that her children from that time period would continue to fight the Goa'uld, since that was part of the genetic memory she passed on to them and on which she put much emphasis."

"When she was aware the System Lords would soon catch and kill or imprison her, she came to us and asked if she could leave a record here for her children to find and follow to their new queen or queens. We believe she left a memory of this place with the eldest of her children born during that time, and a legend or some trigger that would lead them here knowing that if they were true Goa'uld, they could not access the gate. She indicated she did so, even before she requested our help, for she felt sure that we would help her, or if nothing else, if you came to us here, we would help you begin to look for your younger brethren. Had you mentioned her, I would have known who you were, but not even in your mind did I find her name," she said, her voice laced with regret at what she had inflicted on him.

After sending a look of apology to Lantash, she continued, "She had already managed to give birth to a few daughters, a feat in and of itself. I am sure you are aware of how difficult it is to produce a queen. That is why they are so rare. It takes much time and care to nurture one egg, to infuse it with the correct hormones, and give it the time and nurturing it takes to change one of you. She did not tell us where she secreted them. She asked that we inscribe into these walls her story, which we did as well as we could and make it seem the same. Her descriptions of the places she hid symbiotes and the little queens made no real sense to us, so we were not able to discover where she hid them, and I am afraid that much of what we know of this dialect has been forgotten over the years. It will be up to you to translate it."

"We asked her to remain here with us in safety, but she refused saying she wished to continue in her fight both by producing more children and in actual combat. We promised to kill or send away any Goa'uld that managed to find and access this place, and we have guarded it ever since."

"We have had little contact with the outside world since then, staying here constantly to guard her secrets. By the same token, we also did not bring up the legend of the Great Battle, not wanting our curiosity to give away our knowledge. It is too easy for us to pick up stray thoughts from one another, if we are not completely guarded, and so our easiest course was to cut ourselves off except for occasional meetings with family. We felt we would know when Egeria's children came, for she would be in their minds. As I mentioned, she was not in your conscious mind at all, so I assumed you were a Goa'uld who had somehow managed to come here."

"You are the first and, as you explained, you are the small dragons of her hopes. Now you must find your new queen and perhaps even some of your brethren for the Great Battle is past and you took part in it. That was the signal that you had indeed become all that she wished you to be."

"As for why Kataya would not have known about this place, no one knew, not even Artereos. As for why she believed there were other queens that were Egeria's daughters, I do not know. There could very well be a legend from the Myst-time that speaks of them, just as you were a part of the Prophecy of the All. And if you were a part of that, then there could very well be other legends that mention the birth of a new, good-hearted, Goa'uld Queen, and perhaps Kataya knew of them."

Turning to Daniel she said, "Dayillon of Alexandrian was a great scholar, a leader and crusader of causes, an enemy of ignorance, intolerance, the Dark Mage Daemon Lords, and, the Goa'uld when they arrived. Kataya believed in him and his abilities, and he could very well have told her of such legends, if Artereos did not. Perhaps you know the answer to that question better than we do, Dayillon. Although you and Kataya both were born several millennia after the Myst-time, still many of the legends remained well known then, but were slowly becoming lost to us. You found many legends and prophecies that we forgot over time. That is all I can tell you, for that is all I know." With those words, she disappeared leaving his last question unanswered.

Martouf, Lantash, and Daniel sat in silence, each busy with their own thoughts. Finally, Daniel reached over and touched their arm before he said quietly, "I don't think we should make this common knowledge, Lantash. I know you want to rush right out and tell the Tok'Ra, but the truth is that the Goa'uld are still a force to be reckoned with, and I don't believe we want one whisper of this to leave this place. To alert the Goa'uld to a new Tok'Ra Queen would be to start a world-by-world hunt for them by the Goa'uld. When they found them, it would be a wholesale slaughter."

Lantash's first response had indeed been to go immediately to the Tok'Ra High Council with his information. Daniel's words, very much a bucket of cold water, sobered him instantly. He knew that Daniel was correct. They could not allow word of this to leave this place. Sadness in his voice he said, "You are, as usual, quite correct Daniel. We must keep this information to ourselves," he sighed tiredly, obviously discouraged by Daniel's words and his realization that he was right. They could not afford to tell anyone. How were they to find the Queens then? He looked over to ask Daniel that very question, but never managed to voice it.

Watching the emotions flash across Lantash's face as the possible consequences of rushing off without thinking this through ran quickly through his mind, he told him, "I don't think we have to keep it completely to ourselves. I didn't mean it that literally, Lantash, I simply meant we could not go to the council with the information. That won't stop us from bringing a few Tok'Ra we trust here, though. Do you have any suggestions who to call into the latest Tau'ri/Tok'Ra covert operation?" Daniel asked with a slight smile knowing that both Lantash and Martouf would understand his allusion. It was once again time to falsify a request for people to come to the Tau'ri.

"We should keep the number to a minimum," Lantash replied, as he frowned, thinking about the situation. "I believe that Jacob, Jocasta, Brialek, and Malek would be excellent so, perhaps, we should request them. We know them well and work well together. We know that from the—the last time we all worked towards a goal." He sighed before saying, "Although, I do not get along well with Anise and Freya, they, too, can be trusted, and they are very good with this type of thing. If we find we need more people, she would be one we could add," Lantash finally gave his list, after thinking of and discarding others for various reasons. "I believe they are all to be trusted implicitly. Although, there could be a problem with Selmak as he will wish to return to the council with the information. I believe that given the possible scenarios and consequences; however, he will agree to working on finding them first, and reporting it only when we can find a safe place for us to hide the Queen or" he swallowed hard before he could bring himself to whisper, "or Queens. Queens, Daniel, as in more than one. I keep telling myself this, but I do not believe that fact has truly registered with me, even though I continue repeating it to both of us. Martouf is as excited as I am, and he, too, is having difficulty believing in what we have found."

Suddenly, he looked almost panicked, as he continued, "What if they have already been found and destroyed by the Goa'uld, Daniel? What if we cannot translate this writing? What if it makes no sense to us, once we do translate it? What if she wrote this, but something happened to them, and she could not come back and change this? What if…"

"Lantash!" Daniel grabbed his arm and shook it slightly to garner his full attention. Once he was sure that he had it, he stroked his arm soothingly, saying, "Now, stop. Just…stop it. You are borrowing trouble and seeing shadows where there very likely are none. Egeria has placed her young on safe worlds. We will translate these walls, and we will decipher what her words mean," he gave his arm one last stroke and then gave it a gentle squeeze before releasing it, as he felt the muscles relax and sensed the calm he was gaining.

Lantash nodded, before asserting somewhat stiffly, "I am much calmer now, Daniel. I do not know what came over me to act in such a way. Thank you for intervening and forcing me to take better control of my runaway thoughts. I apologize for my, ah, near hysteria." It was very obvious that Lantash was mortified at his lapse of control.

Daniel looked at him and raised an eyebrow, before saying, with a slight smile, "Oh, I think you can be excused this time, Lantash. I am surprised it was as mild as it was. If it were one of us, we would be running around screaming with true hysterics, which, by the way, you were a long way from succumbing to, so do _not_ give it another thought. Don't let it bother you, please."

Sending him a grateful look, Lantash nodded his agreement with Daniel's words and returned to the original subject before his dive into the world of uncontrolled emotion, something he was not used to doing so utterly. _"You are fine, Lantash, Mer Prinekh. It was only a momentary lapse of your emotional control and absolutely understandable in the circumstances. Please, do as Daniel requests and forget it even happened. You are allowed to feel any emotion you wish to, and he thinks no less of your for your momentary, ah, anxiety,"_ Martouf was finally able to murmur to his mate.

_"Thank you, Carus, for such polite wording, but I believe the word used should have been "near hysteria", or perhaps "panic". I have never felt this way before, nor been so overwhelmed by such a…panicky feeling. It was most disconcerting,"_ Lantash revealed to him. _"Thank you for your support and kind words, as well. Now I believe we should return to Daniel as he is watching us anxiously." _

Glancing fully at Daniel, Martouf had to agree, _"Yes, do so, Amat." _

"I apologize again, Daniel. Martouf was attempting to convince me I did not act like a complete idiot. He almost succeeded. Now, back to what I was saying. I believe that Jacob, Jocasta, Brialek, and Malek would be the best Tok'Ra to call in on this "covert op" as you call it," Lantash finally smiled slightly at Daniel, relieving and reassuring his friend.

"Those four sound good to me. We know they are loyal and can keep this to themselves. As for the other, I agree with Martouf. It was no big deal, and if you were truly having hysterics, I would have needed to be much more, er, firm with you to get your attention." Daniel sent him a very solemn look and a nod of his head, a sure indication that he was very serious about what he was saying. Speaking more softly, he added, "You know, Lantash, your recent experience no doubt contributed to your rather out of character reaction. I have a feeling that if you had not experienced that, you would not have responded as you did."

Deciding that Lantash had dwelled long enough on that topic, he changed it abruptly, saying, "Now, then, you look tired still. In fact, you look pretty wrung out. Listen, why don't you take that bedroll and lie down?" His realization of how tired and worn Lantash looked caused Daniel to frown. "Are you feeling all right Lantash? Are there any lasting effects that we need to know about?" He asked as he became more concerned about what he was seeing.

Lantash's first impulse was denial, his usual response, but changing his mind he said, "Well, actually, she told me that it would take time for me to heal, as it had to be done slowly. She started the process and it will continue but I must not attempt to hurry it along. She did warn me that I would be quite tired for at least today, perhaps tomorrow, and possibly longer."

"I thought she healed you," Daniel said, obviously upset at what he considered a falsehood.

"No, you misunderstood. She blocked the pain until it heals. I received the impression that the nerves she damaged must heal undisturbed by me to be fully functional again, and if you remember, the Furling usually do not heal someone completely. They allow the body to heal itself, as much as possible. She also advised me against simply trying to put forth new filaments. It seems the device works much like the Furling mind, and it damages all of those nerve types thus attempting to put forth new ones would simply make more damaged tissue that would then need to heal itself." Lantash disclosed as he smiled somewhat wryly, before adding thoughtfully, "This may also be a better answer to your earlier question about why the Furlings cannot defeat the Goa'uld using this method. When she was explaining this to me, I had the impression that the immobilization corrects itself over time, unless they use the device periodically, or the damage is so severe it causes the death of the symbiote. Therefore, they must kill them, remove them, or continually damage them."

"Once a symbiote is within the Furling body, they have full control of them without the device. Both are definitely very effective means of control. Moreover, because of this, I am going to let Martouf take over talking to you. I believe talking to him would be less tiring on me. I will still be able to help you, I believe." Lantash said as he moved back to the bedroll and lay down upon it, a sure sign that he was indeed not feeling well. It was disconcerting to see him that way.

Daniel frowned, worrying, but nodded, saying, "Go ahead, and rest. I am going to sit here and mull over what she told us." He sat quietly as he mused about the story Valynara told them and the message from Egeria that he found. A trick of the light coming through the window was the only thing that led him to the spot. Normally, he would not have noticed anything at all amiss with the stones. Had he not been sitting in that exact spot at that exact time, he never would have realized that anything was there.

So how had Egeria known that her offspring would come here? This planet was not even on the Goa'uld radar screen. It was from the Ancient's knowledge that downloaded into Jacks brain. Valynara was right; she had to have left some type of message in her offspring about this place, planning all along for them to come here.

Daniel put himself in her place as well as he could and let his agile mind drift to possible scenarios. She knew they were hunting her to either imprison or kill her. She would lay her plans carefully. She would give a lot of thought to who she could trust to guard the directions to her daughters whereabouts. The most logical person, who could not only protect the information, but who would also be completely capable of repelling the Goa'uld, would be the host she trusted and probably loved above all others. The host that would live long enough to keep and guard her secret. There was only one person that fit all of that criteria; her Furling host, Valynara, would be the one she would turn to and that is what she did.

Having made her plans and decisions, she would have left some type of information in her offspring's genetic memory that would guide them here, but _only if_ they fulfilled her hopes for them, or they passed some test. The information would be something that would mean nothing to them if they did not fulfill her hopes and dreams. What would it be? A legend? A Song? What would trigger it and what would it take to accomplish that? For that matter, how would they find the gate address?

From Valynara's comment about the Great Battle, it appeared that the Battle was the defining event that would call them to find their queen. Except, they believed her dead, Daniel knew, so what would that do to the trigger? He shook his head. Her death would change nothing, as she already expected that she would have died. Would she have left some primal need in them, perhaps? Or a legend they discounted believing she had no female offspring? Would she have expected Valynara to contact them after the Great Battle if they participated? Perhaps, except that Valynara was more or less cut off from the outside Universe, although Egeria might or might not have known that. If that only happened _after_ she left her record here, then she would not have known that Valynara would not know when the Battle occurred. Consequently, she would have left no instructions to her children, expecting Valynara to perform that duty. No, wait, she would have told Valynara what she wanted her to do; she would not have left that event to happenstance.

Daniel frowned at the inconclusiveness of his thoughts, and then he realized that how they found out was a moot point now. Therefore, he turned his mind in another direction. The Tok'Ra of today were her later children, for they had the will to fight the Goa'uld whereas the earliest ones would have only the desire to share the host body. Hadn't Garshaw, or Anise, said at one time that there had been Goa'uld that had defected though? Could those have been from the older children? Would some of them have decided they did want to fight even though there was no imprint within them with that desire? That was a possibility. It was a rather good possibility, actually. He would have to ask Garshaw if she knew anything about that once they found the queens and they were safe. Those were no longer joining now though, so, it was a fair bet that the sarcophagus had corrupted them, they had died out, or they were living quietly in a host somewhere in some backwater world no one ever visited. In other words, it could be all of the above.

She left children on several worlds. So did that mean there could be adult Tok'Ra out there that had never taken a host? How long, he wondered, did a Tok'Ra live without taking a host? Could they live, like their blended brothers, indefinitely with the right combination of circumstances? Blended Goa'uld needed the sarcophagus to help to keep the human body from deteriorating, not their own, so it stood to reason that they could live for a very long time without blending. Depending on the worlds she put them on, they could be out there waiting for their brethren to find them.

Daniel's thoughts circled and came back to his original musings even though he knew it was now irrelevant. There had to be an old Tok'Ra legend, something that would have told them to come here, but, perhaps, it was so old that no one remembered it, or they simply did not know what it meant. It could even contain the gate address in some odd way. Alternatively, they simply disregarded it because they knew she was dead and thought it was wrong.

Great. So, now he had to figure out not only what all this ancient Furling said, but also dig into Tok'Ra history. Not that digging into history was a chore, but it could be overwhelming, and he was kinda in a hurry now. This was something he could do for Kataya. He could finish her quest for her. He could not become their queen, but he could at least find the symbiote. He wondered why Lantash had said Kataya could not become the queen now even if she came back? He would have to remember to ask him. He would almost bet it had something to do with him. Lantash would assume that Daniel would object to Kataya becoming a Queen to his people and giving birth to symbiotes. Well, it was an odd thought and would take some getting used to he supposed, but if he could only have her back he would not care. Goddess, he missed her so much. Stop it, Daniel, he chided himself, those thoughts get you nowhere and only cause you more pain.

He changed the direction of his thoughts and his lips quirked in a wry smile. Jack would not be pleased either; there was a possibility they were going to need Anise. They needed access to Cadwaellon and the archives there to go through any old Furling legends and that was not something he had any idea how to accomplish. They could not even get to Avilion, let alone Cadwaellon. If Valynara turned up again, they needed to ask her how to get through to Avilion or Cadwaellon. He needed reference books, something, anything that would help.

Abandoning that train of thought, Daniel sighed and said, "I think I will start videotaping the walls. I am also thinking about having General Hammond send for the Tok'Ra we decided on to help us out on a mission and have him send them through to here. Despite the fact that you, she, and Jack are not the best of friends, I think we might need Anise. Besides, you brought her up first. What do you think?" Daniel asked. Receiving no answer, he looked over and realized that Lantash and Martouf were deeply asleep. Hearing Jack approaching, he quickly got up and made his way to the door, motioning him to remain quiet on his way outside to talk to him.

"Martouf and Lantash are asleep. Evidently, the damaged nerves that have to heal are taking a lot out of Lantash, and since Martouf experienced a lot of the pain, he is out, too. That they are asleep is not what is important but what we found in there is," Daniel said quietly.

Looking earnestly at Jack, he continued, "Jack, we found proof that there were other Tok'Ra Queens, and there is a really strong chance they are still out there, hidden somewhere. Supposedly, the walls in there have the directions of where to find them. I am about to contact General Hammond to see if he can get some of the Tok'Ra here without alerting them to why. We can't let this get out Jack. Every Goa'uld System Lord in the universe would be out hunting them, trying to get to them before we do."

"We, Daniel?" Jack asked.

Daniel pinned Jack with a level gaze saying, "I am going to help the Tok'Ra find at least one of their queens, Jack. Their numbers are dwindling. Without a Queen, they have negative population growth. Egeria made sure their memories contained the information they needed to fight the Goa'uld, and she left the information about the existence of her daughters hidden here until they proved themselves by being part of the Great Battle. Well, they did and here we are. If I have to leave Earth to do this I will, Jack. Don't force me to it, if you can help it."

Ignoring the last statements, Jack focused on something else Daniel had said. He asked, "What about the Great Battle? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Come inside; I'll show you," Daniel said. "Just do it quietly."

Pulling the stones away from where he had replaced them, he showed Jack the inscription. Speaking softly so as not to disturb Lantash he said, "It says, 'I leave this record so those of my surviving children, in the _aftermath_ of the _Great Battle_, may find the daughters I have left for them. Egeria." Daniel replaced the stones and motioned Jack to go back outside so that they could talk without disturbing Lantash and Martouf.

After following him outside, he said, "The guardian, Valynara, came back after we found it. It seems that she was Egeria's host and well it is a long story, but the point is that, when the Goa'uld were hunting Egeria, she came back here to her former host and asked to leave instructions on how to find the little Queens for her children. The thing is, she did not want them to find it unless they proved themselves to be ranged against the system lords and their treatment of the hosts. Valynara used a milder form of what she did to Lantash and it made her determined to become the mother of a race of Goa'uld that would fight to change the ways of the System Lords and defeat them if necessary. She did not want them to find the daughters she left unless they were willing to fight the System Lords. The Furling teaching methods seem most effective."

"What do you mean effective, Daniel? Effective in what way?" Jack wanted to know.

Daniel looked at he ground for a moment before looking back at him and then he said, "Evidently, what the Furlings can do in its most drastic form, the form she used on Lantash, is cause a deterioration and inflammation of the filaments that the Goa'uld use to communicate. The more they try to interact with the host the more pain they encounter. Soon, the deterioration and inflammation cut them off from all sensory input. Complete sensory deprivation, Jack. The perfect Goa'uld prison."

"Egeria already disagreed with the way the System Lords treated the hosts. From what Valynara told us she inflicted a much milder degree of deprivation on her than she did on Lantash, but it was enough to convince her that it was time to combat the System Lords in a more drastic and physical way. Valynara said she was already realizing she would have to go to war with them; she just accelerated that realization. As far as we know, they hunted Egeria and killed her. Nevertheless, her children and her genetic memory live on. These daughters were born with the will to defeat the Goa'uld, Jack. They are a sentient species, and they deserve to live just as much as we do. I for one _do not_ want to see them become extinct. Are they Goa'uld? Physiologically, yes, intellectually and emotionally, no. I am going to help them."

"Have Martouf and Lantash recovered?" Jack asked.

"No, evidently whatever it is that the Furling do to the filaments has to heal on its own. She repaired and helped just enough that he could function again, and the rest has to take care of itself, otherwise they will not heal correctly. She said he should be all right within a couple of days or so, and she did block the pain according to what Lantash told me."

Jack nodded. "Let them rest." Jack paused before saying quietly, "Daniel, what does Lantash say to all of this? How does he feel about it?"

"I think he is in a wait and see pattern right now, not wanting to get his hopes up but anxious to start trying to find them before this leaks out. He understands that he can't just go announce to the Tok'Ra that there are Queens out there without taking the chance the Goa'uld will find out."

"As for how he feels about it, well, think about it, Jack. What if you thought that every female on earth was sterile and that as people died and were not replaced you would eventually see the end of the human race through attrition? Then suddenly someone said, hey, wait a minute, we think there might be one or two females that are not sterile; we just have to find them and we can save the human race. All we have to do is translate four walls of an ancient dialect that none of us know, figure out what the translations mean in order to find out where they are, and do it before the ones trying to kill them in order to wipe out the human race get to them first. How would you feel?" Daniel asked as he looked unwaveringly at him.

Jack sighed. "I would want to do everything within my power to find them first and see to it that they were protected so they could become the mothers of the new human race. I do understand, Daniel, on the other hand, where are they going to get hosts for all of these baby Tok'Ra? More than that, an even better question is who is going to raise them to the point that they can take a host? Are you going to volunteer to become a Jaffa?" Jack asked him.

"No. However, the Jaffa rebels still need symbiotes, Jack. Why couldn't they raise Tok'Ra instead of Goa'uld? Not only that, but I do not believe they _have_ to have a Jaffa or anything else, other than a place with Naquadah. I know it would take some doing, but it is a possibility. Moreover, we have never looked into finding hosts, as we should have. There are a great many people out there that would welcome the chance to survive a terminal illness. Not only that, but I do not think other societies are as bothered by it as we are. They do find willing hosts, Jack. I think that is a road we will have to go down sooner or later. For now, we just have to find her or them," Daniel said, quietly.

"I think we need to contact the General and get Jacob, Malek, Brialek, and Jocasta here. We may need Anise, but if so, we can bring her in later. One of us should go tell him about what we have found privately, because I _do not_ want this rumor to get started at the SGC. This could be the future of this race, as a viable species, and I don't want to take chances with that," he stated firmly.

"I know you probably don't want to do this at all, so if you want me to go talk to the General, I will," Daniel said softly.

"Actually, Daniel, I don't have a problem with it. I know what you are thinking, and I do still feel the same in a lot of ways, but having some of them at the SGC, and getting to know them sort of changed some of my feelings about them. I'm still not gonna volunteer just yet, but I really don't have a problem with others doing it. It's kind of hard to hold a grudge, when you have a host thank you for talking the general into allowing the blending, which is what Jacob did. He seems content with it, and if he can do it and even enjoy it, I can see others doing it, too."

"If they really do have a sharing relationship like Jacob's and Martouf's, I think it is great. But, if you'll think about it, until they spent those weeks with us, all we ever saw was the symbiote in control. The weeks they were with us showed that they really do both use the body, which I for one always doubted. So, I'll go and talk to the general, and we'll see about getting the Tok'Ra here. Are Martouf and Lantash fit to take over command until I get back?"

Daniel stared at Jack. "I, well, I suppose so. I mean they are not incapacitated, just asleep."

"Fine, I'll have to wake them and let them know I'll be back later," Jack explained.

Turning and walking back into the building the two men were surprised to see Martouf just sitting up. After greeting them as they approached, he said, "Lantash is still resting. I believe he is better, though. Even that short nap seems to have helped him."

Jack looked at him intently before saying, "I'm glad you're awake. I'm heading back to the SGC to talk to the General about getting Jacob and company here a.s.a.p. I need you to take command until I get back," Jack told him.

Martouf stared at him much as Daniel had before saying, "Me, Colonel?"

"You and Lantash are the ranking officer, Martouf. It's your responsibility to take command when the commanding officer is absent. I'm gonna be absent. _You_ are in command."

Jack sighed. "Martouf, you and Lantash were given rank in our military based on your experience and your abilities. You studied our command structure among many, many other things. You did well. You passed the tests with flying colors. I'll be back as soon as I can, Major. Hold the fort till I get back," he ordered.

Turning to Daniel he said, "Dial home for me will you, Daniel? I'm going to go let Teal'c and Lieutenant Stevenson know that the Major is in charge until I get back."

Martouf stood stunned as Jack walked out the door and headed to tell the others he had to go to earth but would be returning soon.

"I'll not even tell you "_I told you so",_" Daniel, said as he input the glyphs for home.

Jack came back in and headed for the gate. "Code accepted, Daniel? He asked.

"No. No, Jack it hasn't been," Daniel said, sounding surprised and a little uneasy. "Something must be going on at the base for them to refuse to accept our code," he continued quietly.

"Shut it down, Daniel. I'm not going through if they aren't accepting the code," Jack said, equally as quiet.

The three of them watched as the wormhole shut down. They stared at the Chaappa'ai as if expecting it to have an answer, but for now, it remained silent.

"What now?" Daniel finally asked.

Frowning, Jack said, "We wait thirty minutes and then we try again."

"I have contacted Artereos for you, Dayillon. He will be sending the requested materials to you as soon as he can. He is pleased at the information I have given him, and he has taken it upon himself to request of the Tok'Ra that they send the requested persons to you here."

"Valynara. How did you know what I wanted? I thought you weren't supposed to read minds," Daniel said, his voice almost accusing.

"We are not. However, I am a Guardian of this place, and I will protect it. If doing so means I monitor your stray thoughts, then I will do so. I have not "read" your mind; I have simply picked up your stray and throw away thoughts. It is working to your benefit, is it not?"

"Well, yeah, but I just don't like the idea that you can see what I am thinking."

She smiled at him and shook her head, "I will not be delving deeply, Dayillon, have no fears of that."

"Do you know what is going on back on Earth? Why they won't accept our access code?"

"I do not believe they wish you to come home at this time. I am sure they will have an explanation in due course," she replied, as she watched the gate.

"You're expecting it to activate. Do you think the Tok'Ra will be here that quickly?" Jack asked

"I do not know when they will arrive," was the uninformative answer.

"Then why are you watching it?" Jack wanted to know.

"I have no idea," she said her voice calm and her demeanor unruffled. "You were all gazing at it, and perhaps I simply joined you in watching it," she continued, the remainder of her answer as uninformative as the first part.

Removing her gaze from the gate without haste, she changed the subject saying, "The villagers have been made aware of your presence here, and that it is acceptable to me. I doubt they will bother you, although they could become curious. They are a very polite people. Many still have symbiotes from Egeria's first children. They will not join your fight perhaps, but they will be eager to meet others of her offspring."

"Many here would take symbiotes and join your battle, though. It was one more thing we could do in case Egeria's children proved to be warriors against the Goa'uld. It will not be as difficult to find hosts as you think, Colonel, because Dayillon, I am sorry, I should attempt to remember to call you Daniel, was correct in his statement, and many cultures do not have the problem with it that you do."

"The people here were raised on legends of the symbiotes and the long life and health they impart. To have one in one's family is a great honor. Therefore, we will hope that we can find other adults of your kind, Lantash, for they have hosts waiting. And now that I know of you, we will also be a place you may look for hosts, whenever you have a need for them."

"I didn't even know there was anyone living here. We thought the planet was deserted," Daniel said quietly

"We removed the people from this area long ago, Daniel. It was not necessary that they have use of the Corridor of the Stars, and we preferred that this temple fall into disuse. We wished it to appear that this planet had nothing of value on it. It was a precaution, nothing more. Until today, we have never had a Goa'uld come through except for Egeria. I should, of course, have realized at once who and what you were. I did attempt to search your mind, but as I mentioned before, I did not find you thinking of Egeria or her daughters. Now that I know you did not come here specifically for that, I can understand why I did not."

"Be that as it may, to return to my story of the people who reside on this planet which, by the way is called Valdellon. There is a large population here. Many towns and villages exist beyond the hills of this valley. We designated this temple and area to be our sacred place and the people, in return for our protection of them, have granted this to us."

"So you've set yourselves up as the local deity?" Jack asked, not sure he liked the sound of that. "That doesn't sound like the Furling."

Smiling at him slightly she said, "It is _our_ sacred place, Colonel O'Neill, not theirs. They have there own beliefs, which we do not interfere with. They are very aware that we are an alien species that brought them here millennia ago to protect them."

"Before we isolated ourselves here we gathered humans who were willing to blend as well as those who were already blended with Egeria's earlier offspring. Their numbers have grown."

"So they weren't all blended." Daniel stated.

"No, they were not all blended, and as for the symbiotes among them they only take hosts who have already had their children. It works quite well, and it will be a steady supply of hosts for any symbiotes of the Tok'Ra who need them as well as any new symbiotes found."

"I do sincerely hope that you find other worlds with grown children of Egeria on them. She should have chosen only waters that would sustain them indefinitely or else put them into stasis jars to hide them. She did not really say, but I had the impression that she probably did both hoping that if one group did not survive perhaps the other would," she said quietly. "And I believe she might have chosen unpopulated worlds for the ones in the stasis chambers and populated worlds for the ones born into the waters. Otherwise, her children would not be here today. I am speaking of your brethren, Lantash, not the young lost ones."

She was quiet for a moment before saying, "If I am correct, the children that are today fighting the Goa'uld were born before she came here, and I believe there are possibly more adults from that time out there somewhere waiting for their brethren to find them. I also suspect that you may find Egeria's children from after she was here, on uninhabited planets as well as in stasis. I believe she intended to have as many children as she possibly could before the System Lords found her. Unfortunately we do not know how long it was after she left here before Ra hunted her down and, we assume, destroyed her."

"All of this information will be a very big help to us, Valynara. I know you said you did not have any other information for us, but I don't believe that is true. I think that just as this information will perhaps be of some benefit, so will other of your recollections help us," Daniel said earnestly. "Please, anything at all that you remember or anything you think of that she said or did, might give us a clue. Please, come talk to us of her and her time here, often."

"I, too, wish to know of her. We have only memories left to us; we never knew her as you did. Perhaps it seems odd to you that we would wish to know of our Queen, but I believe many of us would wish to hear of her."

"Why would you think I would find it strange or odd that you would wish to know her? She is not just your Queen, Lantash, she is your mother." Valynara pointed out softly. "I know that the Goa'uld think of them as Queens, but I believe that she left more with you than that. As you learn to dig deeper, you will begin to understand this. As for my knowledge of her, I will freely give what I have. I will also give freely of my memories of her, for she was very dear to me."

Suddenly, the Stargate activated and a wormhole was established. Stepping out of the fluctuating blue of the pool was a startled looking Jacob Carter and company. He stopped short at the sight of SG-1 and looked around the building in which they now stood.

Giving a lopsided smile, he said, "Okay, how did you guys do that? We got the message from Artereos that you needed us for a mission, and that we should expect to stay for quite some time. We dialed the SGC, they accepted our code, we sent our luggage through, and then we walked out here. Sans luggage it seems," he continued as he realized that only the group had materialized on this side of the gate.

"Well, maybe it was Valynara," Daniel spoke up.

"Who?" Jacob asked as he walked down the steps that led to the gate.

"Valyn-" Daniel said, as he turned to the woman, only to find she had once again disappeared. Daniel expelled a gusty sigh. "I wish she would stop doing that!" he exclaimed. "Moreover, I would like to know _how_ she is doing that," he said sounding exasperated.

"Well, Daniel, whomever you are talking about obviously is _not_ here, so perhaps one of you can just tell us how we arrived here, and while you are at it, how about _why_ we are here?" Jacob asked even as he realized that the group in front of him was almost as disoriented as he was.

"I think Lantash and Martouf should be the ones to tell you _why_ you've been brought in on another 'covert op'," Jack said quietly, as he nodded to the man standing next to them.

As the group of Tok'Ra looked at him, Martouf shrugged and Lantash took control. "It is Daniel's discovery. Perhaps he should be the one to tell you," he said, almost diffidently.

"Ah, no, I don't think so. This is your discovery, as much as it is mine, and it means a great deal to you and your people. You take them over and show them."

"Show us what?" Jacob said, sounding almost testy. "Do you think you could stop passing the buck long enough for one of you to explain why Artereos of Cadwaellon, instead of George Hammond of the SGC, contacted us to tell us that you needed us? Hm? Anyone?"

Looking from one to the other of the three men facing him Jacob realized for the first time that Lantash did not look well. "Lantash, what is wrong with you?" He asked abruptly. "You look extremely…tired."

"I am extremely tired, Jacob," Lantash answered quietly. "However, it is my understanding that I will be better by tomorrow or the next day, so it is not important. The reason you are here is, though."

He looked from Jacob to the other three Tok'Ra with him. "It is important to all of us, and it must stay between those of us who are here. We cannot speak of it except among ourselves, and then only when we are absolutely positive, no one can overhear us. We are on a world that is under Furling protection. The gate here will not let a Goa'uld through, as far as we know. We believe it is like the one on Avilion."

Turning he walked to the fountain and kneeling in the dust and dirt he removed the stones and called them over to him. He was not surprised when Malek knelt beside him and reached out, with fingers that trembled, much as his had, and traced the words cut into the stone.

"What does this mean, Lantash?" He asked, afraid to believe what he was reading.

As he swayed slightly, Daniel came up to him. "Lie back down, Lantash. I suspect that you have to rest, or it will take longer to heal."

Nodding his head Lantash agreed, but did not go back to lie down. "I will lean up against the fountain, and you can explain to them what we have discovered, please, Daniel."

"Somebody better explain and quick. I want to know why this wasn't brought before the council." Selmak said forcefully. "If I understand this statement correctly, there are Tok'Ra queens somewhere out there."

"Yes, Selmak, there very well may be. Furthermore, if you go running to the council with the news, then we can figure the Goa'uld will know sooner rather than later. Then we can watch as they start a world by world search for them to destroy them, before we ever get a chance to decipher the information she left behind," Daniel said quietly.

"I take it there is more to this than just this sentence?" Selmak asked, somewhat mollified by the sense of what Daniel said.

"Yes. The Guardians of this place added some of the writing on these walls separately, at a much later date. We believe the newer writing is the information that Egeria left to help her children find the new queen or queens and any of their brethren that still survive," he explained, nodding at the walls surrounding them. Reaching down he replaced the stones. "It is a long story. I suggest we make camp and once we get everything set up, we can discuss this in more depth. Lantash needs to rest."

The next thing they knew they were in a suite of rooms over looking a large valley. Daniel squeezed the bridge of his nose again. He wished she would stop doing things without telling them. However, the smell of food was making itself felt. Moreover, she was standing in the doorway.

"You may leave through this door or the back way at any time. You will not need to keep guard but you may do so if you wish. We will be watching over you, however, so you have nothing to fear. Lantash does need rest." She frowned. "I was more severe than I realized, but he will recover somewhat, probably after he sleeps for a few hours." She walked to him and placed her hand on Martouf's neck, then nodded her satisfaction with what she felt.

"You should spend the evening explaining what you have found and learned. I believe that by sometime tomorrow you will have the items you feel you need, Dayillon. Goodnight."

Daniel shook his head as she once again disappeared without waiting for a response from them. "There has to be some type of transport beam or something. She cannot just disappear into thin air," Daniel said, his frustration obvious. The Tok'Ra's trunks suddenly appeared in the spot where she had been standing.

"It looks like the Furling air transportation department found your luggage, group," Jack said with a grin.

Setting his weapon down, he headed for the table of food, following Daniel's example. "I agree with her. We should eat and then you can all discuss this. Lantash needs food and rest first, though. Talking can come later." The Tok'Ra stared at him.

"What?" Jack asked. "Hey, he _is_ my Second in Command now. I take care of my people, okay?"

"Nothing, Jack. Nothing at all," Jacob said as he clapped him on the shoulder on his way to the table. "I take it _that_ was Valynara? He asked.

"Yup, that's her; A Lady in a green dress with a decided preference for coming and going both quickly and quietly. She has a serious grudge against the Goa'uld, too. We thought she was gonna kill Lantash, before Daniel could make her understand that he was _not Goa'uld_ and she had a real serious problem with Teal'c at first, too," Jack elaborated as he watched Daniel take a plate of food to Martouf.

Hearing footsteps, he turned and saw both Teal'c and Lieutenant Stevenson entering. "Valynara said you wished our attendance, O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly.

"You and the Lieutenant need to eat, too," Jack sighed. The woman certainly liked to arrange everything. "After that we'll decide on who takes what watch." At least she was leaving that decision to them.

Noticing the murmuring of voices, he turned and watched Daniel as he offered a plate of food only to have Martouf shake his head no. He watched as Daniel insisted, until Martouf gave in and agreed to eat. Good, he wouldn't have to make it an order. He turned back to the other members of his now enlarged team. The Tok'Ra were eating, but you could tell that they were stunned by the turn of events.

"Listen, I know this is a shock, but I think she's right, and we should just talk a little tonight, and then actually get started on trying to figure all of this out tomorrow. Like she said, Lantash hasn't recovered yet, and if we do too much talking, he'll stay up instead of sleeping like she said he should."

"I believe we are all simply trying to assimilate this information, Colonel," Malek said quietly. "I _would_ like to know what is wrong with Lantash, though."

"Ah, well, that has to do with the serious grudge she has against the Goa'uld. Actually, I think that is a mild way to put it. Anyway, she used some kind of device on him and it damaged the nerves he uses to communicate. So, it kind of wears him out to talk right now. She said it would get better on its own; in fact, it has to heal on its own, for it to heal right. He just has to be patient," Jack replied, equally quietly.

Seeing Malek frown, he said, "She was doing what she promised Egeria she would do, Malek, which was protecting the information here, and keeping it safe for Egeria's children. That is you guys, so be glad she was willing to defend it."

Martouf looked up and said, "The information about Egeria is an interesting story. Moreover, I believe Daniel could tell you after we finish eating. Then tomorrow we can begin work on finding our new queen. The new," he paused as if listening and then said, "The new Mother of the Tok'Ra race."

TBC


	3. Unmatched Socks, Extra Hats & Friendship

**_Chapter Three Summary:_**_ Merdwin arrives at the SGC with two soldiers for them. He has a private interview with General Hammond to explain what is happening. Back with our team, the Tok'Ra arrive on the planet much to their surprise. They learn the secrets that have been kept there. Lantash is slowly healing and Daniel and Malek have a talk. _

**_"Italics_**" – _Symbiote-Host or Telepathic communications_****

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Three_**

**_Unmatched Socks, Extra Hats, and Friendship_**

* * *

"Unscheduled off-world activation," could be heard in the corridors of the SGC. General Hammond, who had started out the door of the control room, turned back saying, "Do we have a signal, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir, it is – it is the Furling, Sir," Sergeant Davis said, his surprise evident.

"Open the iris," the general answered, as he headed for the gate room. He reached the end of the ramp as Merdwin emerged from the blue pool.

"George, it is good to see you once again," Merdwin greeted him as the two men shook hands. The two figures that had emerged behind him waited patiently for the greeting to be over. Turning to them, Merdwin said, "I have brought you two Warriors. Hopefully, only the first."

Seeing the bemused look on the general's face, he continued, "I know you thought we had forgotten you, but we simply could not return before now. However, things have finally become less hectic."

George Hammond smiled at this man who had become a friend during the weeks before the battle with Morgasha/Bastet. As much as he would like to be angry over the things they didn't tell the Tau'ri, he knew that it was better that it had happened this way. Major Carter and Kataya were sorely missed, but at least the last weeks they were all together had not been overshadowed with thoughts of their deaths. He nodded to the two Warriors standing behind Merdwin. He remembered both of them.

"Nice to see you both, Colwyn, Stephynara. We're very glad to have you back with us. I'll have Lieutenant Simmons show you to some quarters, and we'll have your things delivered to them."

"Thank you, General Hammond," Colwyn, replied.

The general nodded and then turned to Merdwin, "I believe a briefing with the four of us would be in order. Shall we go to the briefing room?"

A look that could have been discomfort briefly crossed Merdwin's face, but it passed so quickly that the General couldn't be sure that it was. "Actually, George, we need to go to the control room first. I am expecting you to get a wormhole and signal from SG-1 at any time, and I wish you to refuse their code, if you would not mind."

George Hammond stared into his friend's eyes and sighed deeply, "You are involving us in another mission, aren't you, Merdwin?" He finally asked.

"Well, actually, it is you who are involving us. That is neither here nor there. It would be best if they did not come back just yet. If they still wish to return tomorrow that would be fine, but I would doubt that will happen." The four people started for the control room and as they mounted the stairs they heard, 'Unscheduled off-world Activation.'

Entering the control room, the general said, "If it is SG-1, refuse to accept the code, but open the iris. Just in case," he sighed again, as he looked at Merdwin who sent him a wholly unrepentant grin.

"Yes, sir. It _is_ SG-1, sir," Sergeant Davis said, as he refused the code, but opened the iris. The group stood waiting and within a minute or so, the gate shut down.

"They should not try again. We have made arrangements for what they need to arrive shortly," Merdwin said quietly. "Now, if we could retire to your office, George, I will explain what is happening. I believe your talk with your new warriors could wait until later. You and I have to discuss this first, I think."

"All right." He turned to Lieutenant Simmons, and said, "See that Colwyn and Stephynara are given quarters. I will decide what teams to assign them to after I have talked to Merdwin." Looking over at the two warriors, he said, "Make yourselves comfortable. You already know your way around. You will need to go to the infirmary for your checkups. So go do that, after you have settled in a little, then come find me, and we will decide where you would be best suited. Give some thought to whether or not there is any team that you would prefer to join."

"Yes, sir, General Hammond," they replied, before turning and following the Lieutenant from the room.

"Now, I think I deserve an explanation, after refusing to allow my own people onto their base, don't you?" He asked Merdwin.

"Certainly I do, and you shall have your explanation. Let us adjourn to your office."

As the two men walked toward Hammond's office, Merdwin said, "I want to thank you for remembering to give us the GDO when Artereos and I were here. I should not have forgotten to take it with me when I left."

"Well, I think that Thor caught you a little off-guard. I had the distinct impression that we were having a conversation and the next thing I knew you were gone. Even though we both knew he would be taking you, I don't think either of us was expecting it at that moment," General Hammond said.

Merdwin smiled, somewhat wryly, "No, I was not expecting it to be quite that soon, although I should have I suppose. I am just glad he was able to come. It would have been better if one of our own ships had been available, but it was not to be."

As the general closed his office door and the two men seated themselves, Merdwin opened a link and said, _"Nothing can leave this room, George. Moreover, we will not speak of it aloud, please. While we did not want Bastet to get word of our plans, it was unlikely that another System Lord would have warned her in advance of our strike. If we were not completely secure here, and one of them somehow learned of our plans, they would wish to assume her territory once we disposed of her for them. This, on the other hand, is something of which no Goa'uld must learn."_

_"This sounds very serious, Merdwin,"_ General Hammond responded.

_"It is, and the complete secrecy of this mission is why I did not want Jack to come back to tell you. I felt it was better if he did not make a special trip back from the planet. You may have to start to send them equipment; however, I doubt it will be much, as we will be sending them anything they may need. Daniel already has an impressive want list. He will receive the things he requested tomorrow. The Tok'Ra they requested will arrive there tonight."_

_"They requested Tok'Ra? What is going on, Merdwin? Cut to the chase,"_ General Hammond said firmly.

Nodding, Merdwin said, _"Daniel and Lantash have discovered records that indicate that, at least at one time, there were other Tok'Ra queens. We must hope they still exist, and we have no reason to believe they do not. If word of them leaks to the System Lords, there will be a world-by-world hunt for them. It is one thing to have a group of Tok'Ra, who are slowly being destroyed by attrition, against them; it is an entirely different matter to have a Queen producing more of them. They would scour every world they have ever known. We cannot let that happen. The Tok'Ra have negative population growth. They must not be allowed to vanish, if we can stop it."_

George Hammond gave a quiet whistle. Then, thinking of the future, he said, _"Merdwin, aren't the Tok'Ra having trouble finding hosts the way it is?"_

_"They will no longer have that problem. People who would be only too happy to have a symbiote populate the planet in question. In fact, they consider it a great honor to be chosen as a host. So, thankfully, that problem no longer exists."_

_"I don't suppose you want to tell me the story from the beginning?"_ George Hammond asked. At a nod from Merdwin, he settled back in his chair to listen. Quite some time later, he said, _"I assume this means I will not be seeing SG-1 anytime soon?"_

_"I would not count on it, George. While it is true that Artereos or I could translate the text faster, neither of us feels we can be absent for long periods right now. Had this happened a week from now we probably would be, but not yet. I think Daniel will do fine once he gets his reference material. I truly believe he will have it translated before we can be free to do it for him. Moreover, knowing Daniel, he will have it figured out almost as quickly. I cannot say it will be months before they return, but neither would I discount it. Once they think they know where the writings lead, then we will see, but I expect them to be very busy following numerous trails, some probably false. However, hopefully at that point, we will have a plan of action, and although it is possible they could execute it from here, I believe that I would not expect that to happen, if for no other reason than that the secret will keep better away from any of the main bases, be they yours, the Tok'Ra's, or ours. I must also stress that the Tok'Ra have not been, and will not be, informed, except for Per'sus and Garshaw, as Artereos and I both believe there is still a leak there. Not necessarily a deliberate one, although that cannot be discounted at this point in time, as we simply do not have enough information to know for sure."_

George Hammond nodded, _"I understand, Merdwin. This is of great import for all of us. If the Tok'Ra had larger numbers, they would be a more viable fighting force instead of simply having to use infiltration."_

_"Exactly,"_ Merdwin replied. _"Do you have any other questions, George?"_

_"Will we be able to contact you if we need to?"_

Setting what looked like a jeweled picture frame on Hammond's desk, he said, _"Yes, use that. Just pick it up and repeat my name until I answer you. Mentally, of course. I suggest you put an image, perhaps of your grandchildren, in it. It can be used as what it appears to be.""_

_"Thank you,"_ the General said quietly, as he gazed at his friend, wondering, not for the first time, how the man across from him always seemed to have anticipated his requests.

"I simply put myself in your place, George, and ask myself what I would want from me," Merdwin said aloud, in response to his comrade's last thought.

"I appreciate that, Merdwin," George responded, but he frowned as he looked at the man sitting across from him. Although Merdwin had been cheerful and upbeat, his usual insouciant self, he looked tired. Eyes widening, the general realized that the hair at Merdwin's temple's, dark as a raven's wing before, had turned a silvery white. What had happened during the last six months? He would never find out if he did not ask.

"Merdwin, what has happened?" He asked, and then held up a hand, shaking his head. "I know you want to deny that anything out of the ordinary has occurred, but six months ago you didn't have those distinguished looking silvery wings at your temples. No one has told us yet just what happened after, well, after Thor took Major Carter and Kataya. We have never really had closure." He sighed, wondering how to explain this need to the man sitting there.

"There is no need to explain, George. We do understand, and we had hoped to have an answer for you all before now," he said. "As to what has happened, it is complicated. Morgasha managed, in her death throws, to send part of her soul into Kataya. When we bound Morgasha's soul, in order to bind it all, we also had to bind Kataya's soul. We have been working to separate the parts of Morgasha's soul from Kataya's." Merdwin sighed deeply, as if exhaustion was not far away.

"You must understand the strain this has placed on Kataya and Samantha's spirits, George. They have not been able to find peace or rest. Samantha has refused to leave Kataya, so she has been with her all this time. She was not injured by Morgasha's soul as Kataya was, for Kataya stopped Morgasha's evil from entering her."

"Freeing Kataya's spirit from the evil of Morgasha is a long, arduous fight, one in which we more than once, have been afraid we would fail. Only Kataya's own stubborn will and refusal to allow Morgasha to win, and Samantha's refusal to let her go or give up, have allowed us to bring Kataya through the ordeal so far. Without Samantha, I do not think Kataya's soul would have survived."

"Once we have completed the separation, then Samantha and Kataya will journey farther into the All, for they must complete the circle of joining they started before the Great Battle. Once they have traveled deeply enough, they must separate certain aspects of themselves from one another before their spirits can finally rest, heal, and be fully at peace. We hope that because of all the time they have spent bound together, that the time of their journey into the center of the All will take very little time and they will accomplish the rituals of separation quickly and easily."

"Once that has been accomplished, we will simply wait for them both to come to us. If Kataya's soul is still damaged, I will never forgive myself, and I will work as long as is needed, to return it to her whole and healed. I do not believe that will be the case. At least, that is what I tell myself." The sorrow on Merdwin's face was profound and it was obvious it went deep.

Smiling sadly, he continued, "Once they do come to us, we will know, and then we will all have closure. Moreover, you will know as soon as it happens, I assure you. George, it will be very, very soon now, I promise you. I am talking days, perhaps less, and it will all be over for you. At least, I believe it will be, for I am almost sure we will not find a great deal of damage left, if we find any at all."

The General was not sure he understood, but seeing the emotional turmoil discussing it caused the other man, he nodded as if he did. "Are you heading back at once?" George asked him.

Merdwin grinned, "No, Artereos is taking my place for a few hours." He paused, his smile fading as he said quietly, his voice once more strained, "Although Artereos is more than qualified to do what must be done for Kataya, I will not put him through having to do that to his own daughter, so I must return fairly quickly. I am going to see if Janet will speak to me. If so, I plan to spend some time with her before I return to Avilion, later this afternoon. If, that is, you have no objections?"

George Hammond shook his head, "No, I don't mind. In fact, I will tell Janet she can leave now. I know she will be very glad to see you."

Merdwin stood, saying, "Thank you, George. I appreciate it."

George sent him a look of understanding, as he said, "I know Dr. Warner is here today and we have not been busy, so she should be free. Go on, I will let her know you are on your way," he continued, as he picked up the phone. Merdwin raised his hand in farewell and headed out the door.

Things were finally settling down. Merdwin had missed his mate. Soon they would join by the Furling-joining rite and the Tau'ri mating ritual, also, if she wished. And when he told her the news, he was sure he would be forgiven many things. He hoped.

* * *

As SG-1 and the Tok'Ra finished eating, a group of young men and women entered the room. The oldest, a young woman of perhaps thirty came forward and went directly to Jacob. "I am Alys'yat. Valynara asked if any of us wished to care for you while you are here, and we have been chosen from all those who volunteered to do so. It is an honor. Please make your requests known to any of us and we will do what we can to accommodate you."

Motioning to some of the others, she indicated they should begin cleaning up after the meal. Indicating them with a nod of her head, she said, "Tar'ian, Selvius, Othytia, Bles'tia, and Sch'loc." As she named each of the young people working around the table, they inclined their heads in a respectful gesture.

Turning back to the group of visitors, she pointed at a door on one side of the room, and said, "The food will be stored in there. Please help yourselves if you become hungry at any time. You will find beverages and water, also. The sleeping chambers are up the stairs. We will see to it that all of the rooms are prepared and you may choose whichever ones you prefer. Through that door," she nodded at another doorway, "there is a chamber with comfortable seating, if you wish to relax and talk. We will be remaining here, to care for you, should you need anything. Please just ring the bell over there and we will come up to you."

"My eldest grandmother is blended with one of your brethren. Soon, I will take her place. We consider it a great honor to meet at last the children of Egeria. It is indeed a wonderful day for us. We have long awaited the news that the Great Battle had taken place, that the small dragons whose hearts were good were indeed carrying out battles against the System Lords, and were ready to come to the heart-home of their mother, the Queen. Please know that we look forward to joining with you and your brethren."

"Thank you, Alys'yat. We are very pleased to meet you and your people. I am Selmak, and my host's name is Jacob Carter. We, the children of Egeria, call ourselves Tok'Ra."

"Yes, Valynara explained that you are warriors fighting against the small dragons that are evil and that your name means 'against Ra', who was at one time the most powerful of them. I believe she said she sensed that he was no more. This is a good thing."

Nodding toward Jack and his team, Selmak said, "The Tau'ri killed Ra a few years ago. Yes, it is a very good thing. But we remain Tok'Ra, using the name to mean against the System Lords in general now."

Bowing her head to him and then to Jack she said, "I know that at least one of your number is very tired. Valynara explained that she had hurt him badly. We will leave you to relax with one another and to care for your injured comrade. Please do not hesitate to call one of us if you should need anything." Giving a small sweet smile to all of them, she then turned and made her way out the door that she had indicated led to the sleeping chambers.

Jacob and Malek watched as Jack O'Neill went to Martouf and leaned down to say something to him. They saw him turn to Daniel when Martouf shook his head no. Daniel walked to him and talked for a few minutes. Not waiting for Martouf to shake his head again, Jack frowned at him and said something. Martouf's head snapped up and he nodded, getting to his feet, and heading for the door that led to the room Alys'yat had said would be a comfortable place to sit and talk.

They followed as Jack and Daniel walked on either side of Martouf and once in the other room, glanced around. Finding a lounge type of settee, they steered him to it, Jack pointed to it and before Martouf could argue said, loud enough that the Tok'Ra that had followed them in could hear him say, "Either you lay down here and let Daniel talk, or we take you upstairs and lock you in. You will rest, Martouf. Lantash needs to recover. We are going to need him in good condition. I would rather not make that an order, Major, but I will if I have to." They saw Martouf sigh and then acquiesce.

Jacob grinned, and Malek looked stunned. He turned to Jacob, and said, "Lantash must be feeling very unwell and weak to let them talk to him in that way."

"Maybe. Or, maybe he just trusts them enough to do as they say. Kind of like he would be with you and I, if we actually insisted, don't you think?"

After considering Jacob's words, Malek looked at Jack O'Neill as he stood frowning down at Lantash and talking quietly to Daniel. "He actually cares what happens to him, does he not, Jacob?" He finally asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I have seen it growing between them. At first, it was kind of a tentative cease-fire, which became an uneasy peace. Then before either Jack or Lantash realized it, the peace was real and they had begun to get to really know one another. My guess is that neither one of them would admit to liking the other, but actions speak louder than words. I wouldn't bring it up to them though. Not yet, anyway."

"I agree, Jacob. It would be a huge step forward for both of them if they can become friends, and I will not mention it to either of them. Now that Lantash is resting, perhaps we can get more information from Daniel as to what exactly has taken place here. We are all here, are we not?" He asked, before looking around and realizing that Brialek was not among them.

"Where is Brialek, Jacob? Did you see him leave?" He asked.

"I believe he followed Lieutenant Stevenson outside. It was decided that they would take first watch. One of the inhabitants took her to show her the rooms and she took one, put her stuff in it, and then left to do her stint at guard duty. Jocasta and I are taking next shift and Jack and Teal'c will be morning shift. We will take turns during the day until we can work out a feasible alternative. Daniel and Lantash are going to be needed to work on the translations, so I don't think that Jack is planning on them taking any guard duty. And we may be able to dispense with some of it later."

"And when is mine, Jacob?" Malek asked. "Am I not considered competent enough to do guard duty?"

"Well, since Jack and I both believe that two is probably overkill anyway, we really couldn't justify using three. Brialek _asked_ to be assigned with Lieutenant Stevenson and I wish to be with Jocasta. That leaves Jack, Teal'c and you. If you really want too, you can take one of their places, but you will probably draw some time during the day tomorrow."

Malek nodded, seeing the reasoning behind the decisions. He glanced up as Jack came toward them.

"There's a bar over there and guess what? Yup, both port and mead. Help yourselves and then find a seat, and Daniel can fill you in on what's been found out so far.

"_Cheer up, Malek. Lantash will be all right. He just has to heal. You heard them,"_ Devlin, reassured him.

_"I know. I am just somewhat anxious about him. We came so close to losing him,"_ Malek, replied.

_"I know. Nevertheless, we did not, he is here, he is living, and he will be all right. He would not thank you for clucking around him like a mother hen with one chick," _Devlin, pointed out.

_"You are correct and I will attempt not to 'cluck'. Where did you pick-up that saying, if I may ask?"_ Malek, asked amusement obvious in his voice.

_"Oh, I heard Daniel say it to O'Neill. That he was clucking around them as if he was a mother hen with only three chicks. I just cut down the amount of chicks."_ Dev grinned at him. _"Evidently, you were not paying attention at the time or you would have heard him,"_ he continued, his voice smug at having information his symbiote did not.

Malek shook his head at him and headed over to the chair next to the settee where Martouf was lying. Sitting down, he realized that Martouf had his eyes closed indicating he must be very tired. Glancing up, he caught Daniel's eyes and nodded when Daniel shook his head and indicated that Martouf and Lantash had just fallen asleep. By mutual consent, they both stood and made their way out onto the Balcony. The others drifted across the room and settled into a quiet conversation as they, too, realized the two on the settee were sleeping.

It was a beautiful night. The night sky here was awash with purples and blues, pinks and reds. A moon hung low and mellow on the horizon, yet the stars were bright and looked as if they were caught in gossamer fine material, set there to adorn the heavens. Looking at it, Daniel sighed, wishing for probably the ten thousandth time that Kataya was with him.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he turned to the Tok'Ra beside him and asked, "Have you heard from Gwennetha? I know she has to be very busy. Janet has only heard from Merdwin once, other than the time that Artereos and Merdwin came to the SGC. From what we were told, I gathered they really didn't have more than a few minutes together. She told me that he didn't say anything about what was going on, but she felt a great weariness in him, as if he wasn't getting any rest and was worried about something. She didn't think it had to do with Martouf and me though, so she didn't question him."

"I have only heard once. She warned me that she would possibly have to leave suddenly, but at the time, I did not realize she was talking about a particular incident. It was only later that I realized she must have known that she would have no time to tell me good-bye. And of course, she could not tell me ahead of time for fear of changing something and making it even worse," he said quietly, never forgetting that this man standing next to him, asking with so much sympathy in his voice, had lost the two greatest loves of his life at the same time.

"At any rate, when I heard from her, she said simply that she was very busy and would be returning when she could and to not forget our promise," Malek replied, smiling slightly. "Sometimes it is hard to have unwavering faith, but that is what I promised her and that is what I will give her," he finished softly.

Daniel nodded his agreement, saying, "Martouf, Lantash, and I also promised that. Unwavering faith. Sometimes it is almost more than I can do. However, this latest development will give both Lantash and I another reason to live and to fight. For him, it is the salvation of his people. For me, it is both that and the finishing of a quest."

Malek frowned, asking, "A quest? What do you mean, Daniel?"

"Kataya has been looking for years for a new queen for the Tok'Ra. She would wish me to do everything I could to help find them. And I will," he said fiercely. "I will. We _must_ find them."

"So you can finish Kataya's quest," Malek said.

"Yes. I want to do that for her. I would rather she was here to help, but, in the circumstances, that is not likely to happen, so I will do it for her, gladly. However, there is more to it than that. I don't want to see the Tok'Ra die out. I have too many friends that are Tok'Ra. Look, the Tok'Ra have faults. The Tau'ri have faults. Hell, the Asgard and the Furling have faults," Daniel exclaimed, with something very like amused exasperation in his voice.

"The point is that in my eyes and in many other's eyes as well, the Tok'Ra are a viable species who are well worth saving. We care what happens to them. We care a lot, even if some of them don't believe that. That's from a philanthropic point of view."

"Nevertheless, even looking at it from a purely militaristic point of view, and let's be honest, there are both points of view, if the Tok'Ra had large enough numbers, if they had a viable queen, and didn't have to worry that their race was becoming extinct, they could be more aggressive in their fight. From what Valynara told us, Egeria's children should have been born wanting to fight the System Lords and their way of doing things." Daniel stared out across the valley to the outline of the mountains silhouetted against the horizon before turning back to Malek.

"That alone is wonderful, but when you add in what else we've found here, it is amazing. I mean, my god, Malek, look what we have discovered here already. A planet with people on it that don't have to be convinced to take a symbiote, but are more likely to vie for the chance to become a host. On the other side of those mountains are towns and villages of people who are ready and willing to take a symbiote and to fight the System Lords. I just wish Kataya and Sam had lived to see it," he finished, his voice becoming husky as he thought of how much this discovery would have meant to them.

Sensing the pain emanating from the man standing next to him, Malek said, his voice earnest in its sincerity, "Perhaps they do know, Daniel. I do not understand their life cycle, but I would think that once they are at peace then, surely, they could be aware of you, Martouf and Lantash. It could be that they know what you are trying to do. We must believe that they do," Malek said firmly, even as his own heart ached for what he felt had been a great loss, not only to Daniel and Martouf, but also to all of them. Though he had known neither woman well, still he felt the loss of those bright and shining spirits. Their worlds had lost much when they were taken from them.

Pausing, and looking up at the sky for a moment, Malek finally seemed to come to a decision. "I have wanted a chance to talk to you alone for quite some time. I have wished to thank you for what you did for Lantash, Daniel. He told me a little. Enough for me to know that there was much more he was not telling me," he said smiling slightly. "I was afraid for him. He has lost so much in his life. I was afraid he would not force a confrontation since he was not with us. I am glad he trusted you enough to do so."

"He trusted Martouf enough to do so," Daniel said, attempting to minimize his own role in what had happened. "I simply helped him to realize what he was doing. He is a special being, Malek, and I care for him very much. They are the brothers I never had, he and Martouf. I am very thankful to have them, my team, and the rest of the newly formed group, you, Jacob, Jocasta, and Brialek. You all helped us both and we are grateful to you. Please know that, Malek, you and Dev. Speaking of him how is Devlin, by the way? I don't think he has said much more than hello to us."

"I am not suppressing him, Daniel," Malek said, somewhat stiffly, still not quite able to believe completely that there was no disapproval in those types of statements. Once again, he was brought very quickly to realize that he was being overly sensitive.

"No, I know you aren't," Daniel agreed, easily. "If I had to guess, I would say he is sitting back and saying that this is Tok'Ra business and he's just here to provide transport and go along for the ride."

Malek's smile was rueful, as he asked, "How did you know that?"

Daniel laughed, softly. "Martouf and I talk a lot. He explained that often he just doesn't feel like being bothered. That it's actually nice to have someone else take over during boring meetings and tedious chores. I can see his point. I mean, if you can get someone else to match your socks, why should you do it yourself?"

Seeing Malek's look of confusion, he elaborated, "That is just an example of a boring job that I would try to push off on my symbiote, if I had one. I hate folding laundry and matching socks. You never come out with the right number. I think washing machines eat them."

"I believe I understand. With us, it is the desert uniforms. The number of hats never matches the number of uniforms. In addition, the leggings are always wrong, as well. Sometimes you have one too many, or you are missing one depending on your viewpoint I suppose," Malek said, and then frowned. He looked at Daniel, as he said, "Do you know, although I have heard the men complain of these problems, I have never heard the females voice this concern." He seemed to brood for a moment on the unfairness of the universe to the male half of the population, before asking Daniel, "Why do you think that is Daniel?"

"I believe that females possess a gene which enables them to keep their socks, hats, and stockings together," Daniel responded solemnly, before catching Malek's look and laughing with him.

"You two seem to be having a good conversation," Martouf said softly, from behind them. "It is a joy to me, as it would be to Lantash, to hear you laugh together."

Daniel looked at him intently, before saying quietly, "You are supposed to be resting. Explanations can wait until morning if they have to. And what do you mean, as it would to Lantash?"

"Lantash appears to be awake but very restless, Daniel. I am not sure why. He is not really answering me, and he seems disoriented. I thought I would try to find Valynara and see if she will please check on him." Martouf appeared to be listening for a moment before saying. "He is making no sense at all now, Daniel. And he is beginning to behave as he did this afternoon."

Daniel frowned. "Come back in and lie down," he said to Martouf; as he stepped up beside him and urged him back inside. He was not surprised to see Malek go to his other side and urge him quietly, too. He turned and allowed them to escort him into the room. That in itself seemed very out of character. Lantash should be protesting as he had earlier.

_"Valynara. Valynara are you there?_" Daniel said, attempting to throw his thoughts outward, hoping she was listening. _"Valynara? Damn it, when I want you listening in, you aren't around."_

_"On the contrary, Daniel, I am here. I was simply talking to someone else. What can I do for you? And were you aware that you were capable of opening a latent link?"_ she asked him.

_"Um, well, I knew I could activate one that was already set. Is this the same thing?"_ he asked her.

_"Not exactly, but close enough for now. What did you need? You sounded rather distraught,"_ she said.

_"Lantash awoke disoriented and he is not acting like himself. He is being very pliable and easily influenced him and Martouf both. Martouf said he did not seem to be able to talk to him at first. Is something going wrong?"_

_"Not exactly. Have him lie down, please, and I will be there as soon as I dress."_

_"Oh. Sorry. I didn't realize you were asleep,"_ Daniel apologized.

_"I was not asleep, Daniel,"_ she said, laughing softly.

_"Oh,"_ Daniel gasped as her tone settled into his mind. _"Oh, I am sorry."_

_"You did nothing wrong, Daniel, nor did you interrupt anything at this point. Now take care of Martouf and Lantash."_

_"_She is coming,_"_ he mouthed to Malek.

Martouf had lain down on his stomach on the settee. Now he asked, quietly, "Would you rub Lantash again, please, Daniel? He seems to be upset, and he is having trouble communicating with me."

Malek watched as Daniel sat on the floor next to Martouf and began to rub up and down his spine. In a few minutes, Martouf said, "That seems to be helping. It is as if he cannot hear me again. He was starting to have the same reaction he had earlier."

"I will not leave him, Martouf, I promise," Daniel assured him.

Noticing that something was happening, the others had joined them. Daniel shook his head, nodded for them to stay out of Martouf's range of vision and not say anything. He did not need an audience, his look said.

Jacob nodded, and knowing that Malek and Daniel would help him, he indicated to Jack, Teal'c, and Jocasta that they should go out onto the Balcony.

Shortly, Daniel felt Valynara kneel beside him. At her nod, he moved over enough to let her have better access, but he continued to rub Lantash. He watched her as she laid her hands first on Martouf's forehead and then the back of his head. Frowning, she moved her hands down his spine, checking every inch of him. When she had finished, she sat back and indicated that Daniel should stop.

"Martouf, you must roll over now," she said, gently. When he had followed her instructions, she once again placed her hand on his forehead before saying, "I am going to enter your mind now, Martouf, to retrieve Lantash. Please do not fight me. I promise I will not delve into your private thoughts, and it will not hurt you or Lantash. I must go in to bring him back."

He nodded to her, his trust in her apparent, as he closed his eyes. Closing her eyes, too, she sat perfectly still, barely breathing. A crease formed on her forehead and her lips firmed as if in determination. Eventually, a slight smile made its way onto her lips, and she opened her eyes at the same time Martouf opened his.

"He is back," Martouf said, sounding surprised. He added, amazed, "He is asleep."

"Yes. He was lost in a nightmare and because of the damage that was done to him; you could not tell that he was not awake. I am afraid he was reliving the feelings he encountered this afternoon, while he was, ah, incapacitated. I am sorry; I should have realized he might have nightmares. I have blocked those feelings for now so that the nightmare will not recur. I will release them sometime after he has healed enough that you will be able to wake him yourself should it happen again."

"He should awaken shortly now and I believe he will feel stronger. I checked to see how he was healing first and he is doing quite well. Another day, two at most and he will be back to normal. When he gets tired, you must insist he rest though, Martouf. The more sleep he gets, the faster he will heal. If he refuses, you must have Daniel contact me, and I will see to it that he gets the rest he needs," Valynara said firmly.

"If you need me again, do not hesitate to call me. I will gladly come at any hour, day or night," she said and looked at Daniel.

"I understand and I will call if you are needed, I promise you. I will stay with them; be sure we are in the same room."

Nodding her head in agreement, she said, "That would probably be a good idea. I will wish you all a good-night." Daniel followed her from the room, saw her disappear at the spot where the luggage had appeared, and she had disappeared earlier. Okay. So, that was one place that had to have a transporter of some sort.

Heading back into the next room, he was in time to hear Jacob ask Malek what had happened and hear Malek explaining as well as he could.

Seeing Daniel enter the room, Jacob said, "Explain to me again what she did to Lantash, Daniel. And why can't he just heal himself?"

Before Daniel could answer, Martouf's eyes flashed and Lantash, obviously now awake, sat up and answered Jacob's question himself, "She injured the filaments with which we communicate with our host. It was a salutary experience, Jacob. The more I attempted to share the pain with Martouf and heal the injury, the worse the pain became. The less I interacted with Martouf, the less pain I felt. Soon, my ability to communicate at all was completely gone. I was completely isolated in a black empty void. No sound, no light, in short, nothing but a blackness in which my mind seemed to be encased. I could feel nothing through our normal channels with the host. I do not believe I could have left Martouf's body had I wished to. I was truly trapped. I have never felt anything like it before, and I hope never to do so again," Lantash said, quietly but firmly.

"You felt Daniel, though," Malek said.

"Yes. The pressure was the only thing I could feel. It," he paused, before saying quietly, "helped."

Changing the subject, he said, "Martouf tells me that Valynara was here. He said I was locked in a nightmare and that he was unaware I was asleep. He says he would not have been able to awaken me. Is that correct?"

"Yes. She blocked the feelings of what happened until you heal. Once that happens, she will release them because Martouf will be able to tell if you are asleep and dreaming. She also said, quite firmly, that you have to rest in order to heal. The more you rest, the faster you will heal." Daniel said firmly.

"All right. Daniel, you need to tell everyone what we have found and what Valynara told us and then, perhaps, we all need to get some sleep. Tomorrow will hopefully bring the supplies you asked for, and we can begin the work of translating the walls," Lantash said, as he once again lay down on the settee. For once, he was not going to argue about resting. It had been made obvious to him that rest was the only thing that would hasten his healing."

As the group settled into chairs around the settee, it did not miss their observations that Daniel sat protectively near to Lantash and Martouf. Once settled, Daniel explained how Lantash had recognized the writings as an ancient Furling dialect as soon as he had been able to see them clearly. He was also the one to realize that not all of the writing was the same; some of it was added much later. While he could not read any of it, he felt that Daniel might be able to. Daniel made out three words: hidden, royalty, and joined, which made sense now. Since those were the only words that he could say he thought he knew, they had headed outside, only to find they were behind a force shield. One that did not allow them anywhere near the gate, windows, or doors.

He explained how he had turned around after trying to contact Jack, only to find Martouf and Lantash on their knees and in a great deal of pain. He quickly recounted what he had done and how she had thrown Martouf against the wall, hurting him badly, as well as Lantash, and how she had then healed them enough they would not die, and agreed not to kill them, yet.

She was not, he said to them, a Lady they wanted to cross if they could help it. He went through the discovery of who they were by Valynara, and how she had evidently gone somewhere and contacted Artereos, because she had come back and helped Lantash as much as she could.

He told them the story of how Valynara had been Egeria's host. He explained how Egeria's experiences, though much milder than what Lantash had endured, had turned her disagreement with the way the hosts were treated by the System Lords into a crusade to change their ways. When the System Lords would not listen, she had vowed to become the mother of a new race of Goa'uld. A race with the knowledge and will to fight the System Lords and win.

He explained that they were probably the offspring from before she came back here and left this record, but that they believed she left knowledge of her intention to come here within them. So somewhere, there were legends or something that would have told them to come here. Legends that might hold other clues to where she might have hidden her daughters.

He told them that the story written here was in a very ancient Furling dialect and they had to translate it before they could begin looking for Egeria's daughters. Once they had it translated, he suspected it was going to be a little more complicated than they thought. Somehow, he doubted very much that she had simply named the planet or planets where she left the young Queens, otherwise Valynara would have found and brought them here. However, he didn't want to speculate until he started translating the writings.

What they were fairly certain of, Daniel said, was that somewhere out there in the universe were Tok'Ra waiting to be found. Hopefully, both mature Tok'Ra, as well as some young that had been put into stasis jars. Then there were the Queens. Yes, Jacob, plural, as in more than one. That was the truly amazing thing. According to Valynara, they knew she gave birth to more than one daughter and they were hidden somewhere out there, too. It was very possible that they were not with the other offspring, but secreted away. They really had no way of knowing until they managed to translate those walls. Now, it was their job to find them.

"So the daughters were from the same groups as Selmak?" Jacob asked.

"Possibly, but they could be from a later group. If Valynara is correct, she had several groups of offspring. She did not say how many daughters she had, but Valynara got the impression that some were in stasis and some were born into or introduced into waters on deserted worlds. Your groups were born into waters on populated planets. They had to have been or you would not be here now. If we understand correctly, and what Valynara believes to be true is true, then you were all very young when she died. She never knew if you became the warriors she hoped."

Sighing, Daniel stated, "The truth is that for now everything I have told you is pure speculation, and until we can translate those walls, we will not know for sure if our suppositions are correct or not. And that is also assuming that besides the locations of her offspring, there is also some explanations as to what she did, where and why."

Remembering another important point, he added, "Oh, and many of the people living here, are descendants of the people who were hosts for Egeria's first born young. They are the ones that had the instinct to join with a host in a truly sharing way. Valynara and the other Guardians, brought people who were already hosts and their families and other non-blended people who wished to blend, but did not have a symbiote waiting for them. I think that perhaps they found more of Egeria's offspring from her earliest, um, groups and brought them here. They were building a world of people willing to be hosts, in case Egeria's dream of a new race of Goa'uld came to pass. And it did. It is no wonder they have guarded it so closely."

Daniel contemplated Egeria's dream for a few moments before continuing, "So, if I understood Valynara correctly, Artereos is sending me some materials that should be helpful for translating this stuff. However, if Lantash is right, this is one of the oldest of the Furling dialects. Not only that, but Valynara admitted that they have forgotten most of it. In fact, what little chance I had to look at it, I think that possibly the language they did use to add in Egeria's story is not exactly the same as the original. I just hope Artereos has some books on it that I can read," Daniel said quietly.

Selmak said slowly, "I am one of the few remaining of the oldest amongst us. Lantash and Malek are from a younger group. We did figure that out long ago. We come from different worlds, too. Of course that doesn't mean anything, as she could have transported some of us to different worlds hoping to keep us hidden from the Goa'uld."

"Garshaw, Ma'ashat, Lustesh, Apashe, and Toma'lat are also very old. There are very few others," Selmak seemed lost in thought.

"Well, if I am right, then there should be some old legends, songs, or something that would point you to here and to the existence of a new Queen. I am hoping there are some old Furling legends that deal with the 'small dragons' just as the prophecy named them. If it did, then there has to be other information about them. We are going to need every bit of help we can get, you know. There are going to be mounds of material to sort through. And Selmak, I hate to pressure you, but you are our best hope of dredging up those old Tok'Ra legends. I hate to ask it because I really don't want to have to bring any more people into this than we have to, but is there anyone who would be more familiar with them than you? Think about it and if you think there is we need to know. And if it is Anise, well, we will all just have to promise to be nice. All of us, Jack," Daniel said firmly.

"As if I wouldn't be, Daniel," Jack spoke up putting on his best 'who me' look. "I also think that tomorrow is going to be a very long day with lots of stuff needing examined and looked into, so we should all try to get some sleep."

"I agree, Colonel," Lantash surprised everyone by agreeing. "Tomorrow will come soon enough, and we will have a great deal to do."

"I agree also, Lantash, but I do have one area where I disagree with Daniel. I believe that all of us would have had the same legends in our memories. That we do not remember after so many years is not surprising. I believe we might want to try the memory recall device," Malek said firmly. "We should contact the base and have them send us that as well as any data we have in our systems on our history. And now that I have added that to our list of things we need, I, too, believe it is time to go to sleep."

"Your genetic memories. Of course, I hadn't considered that and you are right. Selmak would not be any more likely than any of the rest of you to remember the legends. Thanks, Malek, it will make things a lot less complicated." Looking over at an obviously tired Martouf, Daniel added, as he stood, "And I also believe you are correct in thinking it is time we all got some rest.

As agreement with that statement seemed to be the norm, they all stood and headed up the stairs. It took very little time to sort out the rooms and with murmured goodnights to one another; they went their separate ways.

Even though they parted for the night, the sense of expectancy among the group remained. Something good was about to happen. You could feel it in the air.

TBC


	4. The Dreams 4 DOTQ

**Carusawyn **- My Dear One, My Dearest One  
**Amat Wyn **- My Love  
**Aima Coeurawyn** - Blood of My Heart - Term of Endearment, also the Formal Statement of the Soulmate. While the word Coeurawyn can be used separately, only the Soulmate should be called "Aima Coeurawyn."  
**Amata Tu Semper**- I love You Always  
**Et Aevum **- Into/For Eternity  
**Amata Tu **- I Love You  
**Coeurawyn **- My Heart, a Term of Endearment

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

**_Chapter Four_**

**_The Dreams_**

* * *

Daniel moaned softly in his sleep as the dream played out as it had so many nights before. He tried to reach her but he couldn't. He was standing next to a large portal, but he couldn't step through it. They would not allow him through. He wasn't trained to traverse the All even in a dream state. He must stay in the areas with which he was familiar. He turned back to the large area next to the portal where he could watch what was happening but he must stay quiet and let them work.

He saw the sympathy on Gwennetha's face. She sighed, and he thought he felt her touch his cheek softly, as if to reassure him before she returned to the altar of stone where her mother lay, so frail and delicate looking that, if he had not known without a doubt that it was Kataya, he would have denied it was her.

The bindings holding her were so tight that he felt the pain of them just looking at them. She lay quietly now, no longer fighting them, as she had only a couple of months ago. Sam knelt beside her, talking to her, and Daniel wished he could hear everything she said but he couldn't. He heard only bits and pieces of their conversations. He watched as Sam wrung out a cloth to use on her face and then held her as the retching that racked her body came again; it would end up with her bringing up a foul blackish fluid. She could not take much more; he could tell she was almost beyond her limits.

No one had explained to him what was happening to Kataya. Even Gwennetha had only given him soft looks of compassion and an occasional touch of sympathy. Most of the time, they were so focused on what they were doing they did not appear to know he was there. Kataya and Sam knew and occasionally Gwennetha was aware of him but other than that, only the priests near the portal that stopped him from going to Kataya appeared to be aware that he was there. He had argued with them at first but had finally given up. They were polite, sympathetic, and firm; he could not traverse that part of the All. His memories had not yet returned and thus he had no knowledge of how to make his way on his own. He must stay here.

Martouf had pulled him away from them, back to the area where the energy shield kept them away but allowed them to see, and sometimes hear if they listened carefully. That had been the first he had seen Martouf in his dream. He had been aware of him there on and off ever since, but they did not interact after that time. It was more a sensing of him, a knowing that his essence was there rather than seeing him.

Finally, Kataya was finished with this bout of vomiting and another strand of the bands holding her snapped followed by the releasing of two more. He could barely hear Sam, as she laughed softly and then smiled at her as she said, "Only one more, Kat. We can do this, _Carusawyn_. I know we can win. We have won it all so far, and Daniel, Martouf, and Lantash are waiting for us. You can see them waiting, sending us their unwavering faith and love, their belief in us, their strength. You must fight just a little longer and a little harder. We will win, I promise you. I promise. We have even more to live for than before. You must continue to fight this."

Daniel realized he was whispering as he watched the two women. "Sam is right, _Amat Wyn_. We are here and you have our love and our faith, always. You can do this _Aima Coeurawyn_. You can do this. _Amata Tu Semper. Et Aevum._ I will be here waiting, I promise. You must survive and begin a new quest. You know what must be done; what you have yet to do, you and Sam. _Amata Tu, _Kataya, _Coeurawyn._" He did not know why he was telling her those things, but he felt it was important he say them to her. She had to know that there was another destiny for her and Sam now. It was imperative that she know how deeply he loved and trusted her. He had to reassure her that his faith in her was as strong as ever.

Merdwin approached the altar and Daniel watched as he began a low-toned chant. They were going to go through the same thing again; they were not even letting her rest this time. Merdwin brought his arm up, held a chalice aloft, and intoned what sounded like a very archaic, pagan, spell. Walking around the altar, he chanted as he dipped the ceremonial dagger into whatever was in the chalice. After completing several circles of the altar and the woman lying on it, he set aside the chalice, lifted the dagger high above his head, and held it over Kataya. As always, he allowed the fluid from the chalice to drip from the tip of the dagger onto Kataya. This time there was no reaction from her.

As Merdwin waited to see if there would yet be a reaction from the liquid on Kataya's body, she turned to look at Daniel and he could see her clearly. Reaching out he touched the energy field between them and it rippled around his hand as it lay on it but did not hurt him. He sent her all the love he could as he watched, helpless to do anything to help her.

She was quiet and calm, her love for him reaching out and bathing him in its sweetness. She smiled at him, her love for him a living thing between them crossing space and time. She turned away from him, looked to Merdwin, and gave a very slight nod of acceptance.

He saw Merdwin's face became ever more determined as he swung his arms downward and plunged the dagger into Kataya. Daniel screamed and sat up in bed, sweating, his breath coming in harsh gasps. God he hated this dream, and he was having it more and more often lately. It had started about three months ago. Not long after he, Martouf, and Lantash had realized what the unwavering faith of the prophecy meant. From that time on, they had begun to build a new life for themselves and from that time on, he had been having this dream, in ever-increasing frequency.

Martouf made his way to Daniel's bed and sat beside him. He reached out slowly and rubbed circles on his back, saying nothing, waiting on Daniel to decide if he needed to say anything this time. This was one of the reasons that Daniel had said he would sleep in Martouf's room. They were both aware that the other had dreams that awoke them, sometimes screaming. They were used to getting up and checking on one another.

At first, after Kataya and Sam had died, they had both had dreams, but over time, they declined in frequency and intensity. Except that now, these dreams were getting worse. Daniel had suspected that Martouf would have nightmares tonight after the happenings earlier today. Instead, he seemed to be the one that would dream tonight. He hoped his scream did not awaken anyone else. He really did not want to subject the others to this if he could prevent it. He, Martouf, and Lantash had grown used to it over the long months they had been caring for one another. Oddly, when they were off world on missions, they usually did not have them. It was strange that he had one this time.

They had never spoken of the contents of the dreams even to one another so Martouf was shocked to hear Daniel give a dry sob before bursting into almost angry speech as if he could no longer hold his despair trapped inside. "If I have to watch Merdwin stab Kataya to death one more time, I don't know what I will do, Martouf."

Martouf sat unmoving, as if afraid to breathe, before saying so softly Daniel could barely hear him, "After Merdwin stabs her, they bring her back though, Daniel. Merdwin works very hard to bring her back. They all work feverishly to bring her back."

"Yes, so she can be violently ill again and then he can stab her again and again," Daniel said bitterly as he slumped back against the head of the bed. Then as he realized what Martouf had said, he shot back to a straight-backed position in the bed while he stared at him in surprise. "How did you know that? How did you know what was going to happen next?" He asked breathlessly.

Martouf looked confused for a moment before saying, "I – I have the same dream, Daniel. I have been having it for a while now. I did not realize that both of us have been dreaming the same thing. It means something, Daniel. There is no other explanation for the two of us dreaming the exact same dream." He paused for a moment before asking, "Has the dream changed since you first began having it, Daniel? Have – have Kataya and Sam changed in it?"

"Yes. When I first started dreaming it, Kataya was much healthier than she is now. She was much stronger and not so worn and thin. She used to fight the binding and she was, ah, very vocal in her recriminations of Sam and Merdwin. It did not even sound like her. I - I am not sure it 'was' her. She doesn't seem to be fighting them so much now. In this dream, she didn't fight at all."

Daniel paused, thinking and then said, "Sam, too, was not nearly so thin and tired when the dreams started. Both of them have become increasingly weaker, as Kataya goes through the process of being ill. I don't understand what the dream means, but I don't think it is good. Especially not now that I am aware you are having the same dream. It has to mean something specific or we would not both be having it," Daniel agreed.

Lantash came forward to ask gently, "Daniel, have you noticed that after they bring Kataya back, right before she becomes ill, her eyes are a flat black? Then after she is ill, her eyes turn a deep green. They are the color of Morgasha and Artereos's eyes to be exact. The only time her eyes are Amethyst is when she looks towards the portal right before Merdwin stabs her." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then frowned, adding, "But I have also noticed lately that the green is not as deep and bright, it is paler and dull now when her eyes change to green. It is very odd. Have you noticed this and do you not also think it is odd?"

Daniel nodded, "Yes, I have noticed some of those things but I am usually too distraught from watching Merdwin kill her over and over to notice too many details. I had hoped it was just me reliving the battle and somehow getting every thing all confused. I thought that perhaps I was seeing Merdwin stabbing Kataya because I blamed him in some way but I know that is not true. They did everything they could to protect our mates."

He sighed and fell back onto his pillows with a groan. "I just wish they would stop. I can see what is happening but I can't get through the force field or the portal. There is nothing I can do to help her or Sam. Nothing," he declared in a voice flat with despair.

"I know, Daniel, I feel the same way. However, I think that when she looks to – to, well, you, she is drawing strength from you. I think our love and faith are sustaining them both. Moreover, I have noticed one thing in the dreams that I think is a good sign. Each time Kataya becomes so violently ill and then recovers, more of the bindings holding her down snap and that makes both Sam and Kataya happy for a short time, until Merdwin comes and," he swallowed before forcing himself to continue, "and burns her with the liquid and then kills her again."

Daniel stared at the ceiling then at Lantash. "So that is in your dream too? The liquid that drips from the dagger seems to burn her in your dream?" He frowned, recalling the dream he had just had. "This time when the liquid dripped on her it didn't seem to affect her, Lantash. I have no idea why, of course, but since you mentioned it, it seems significant somehow. I agree that she is drawing on me for strength, just as Sam is on you. He gave a lop-sided grin, easily discernable in the moonlight, and said, "Which brings us back to the promise of unwavering faith and love. I do not know about you but mine has not changed at all. At a guess, I would say yours is as strong as ever, too."

After pausing in thought for a moment, he continued, speaking softly, "I agree that the dreams have meaning, although I am not sure exactly what. I believe that something happened when Morgasha died and it affected Kataya. I suppose it is possible they are still fighting Morgasha, Lantash. Perhaps not on this plane of existence but, somewhere, Sam, Kataya, and Merdwin, and for all we know Artereos, the priests and the priestesses are all still fighting her, fighting to bind her soul so that she can't escape. That could be why Merdwin has not returned to Janet and Gwennetha has not been in contact with Malek. They may be fighting to bind Morgasha's soul and possibly to save Kataya and Sam's. Does that make any sense to you?"

Lantash nodded before saying, "Martouf and I both agree with you Daniel. It is the only explanation that makes sense of what we have both seen, and the fact that we have both seen the same things tells me there is something important going on there."

Seeing the deep concern and anxiety etched on his friend's features, as the moonlight slanted through the window and across the room, Daniel smiled slightly. Clasping his hand, he squeezed it and said, "Well, even though we both agree, there is nothing we can do about it now. I am glad I woke you though since we finally talked about it."

"But for now, go back to sleep, Lantash. I will be all right now and you need your rest. We have a quest of our own to work on. We have to trust our mates and their people to take care of them, and we have to take care of ours. I truly will be fine, I assure you. I feel better after having shared it. I guess we should have told each other about it a long time ago."

Lantash nodded and Martouf came forward to say, "I believe you are correct, Daniel, and so does Lantash. We must trust and have faith in them." As Daniel lay back down, Martouf leaned over and pulled the covers over his friend and brother. "Good-night, Daniel. We will be here if you need us again. As you will be for us, I know."

* * *

The day dawned clear and bright. A light breeze brought a scent similar to jasmine through the open window and allowed it to mingle with the fragrance of fresh coffee and food. Waking later than normal to this delicious, yet unlikely, harmony of scents, Martouf quickly washed, dressed, and headed down the stairs to join his comrades. They were sitting around the large wooden dining table enjoying the food and discussing which would be the best way to proceed with the days work.

As sunlight slanted through a high window, stray rays of light caught dust motes, turning them to sparkles of gold and allowing them to twinkle as they danced and swirled in the fragrantly scented air. It was a beautiful morning and Martouf thought the very air, even as it moved in lazy breezes seemed to have an expectant waiting quality to it.

"_I agree, dear one."_ Lantash said as he sensed the same things. _"I hope Daniel had the same dream we had during the early morning hours. Somehow I do not think either of us will be having 'the dream' again after experiencing this last one."_

_"I agree, Lantash. I need to be sure to let Daniel know what we saw in our dream somehow without bringing undue curiosity to the three of us," _Martouf promptly agreed.

_"I am sure that sometime today we will have an opportunity to tell him if we do not get to do so now,"_ Lantash assured him.

"_Yes, but I intend to at least let him know that I had an unusually good dream,"_ Martouf responded, stubbornly.

_"I see no problem with that,"_ Lantash agreed readily. Laughing softly, he added, "_There is no reason to become mulish, Martouf. I was not going to argue with you about doing so." _

Martouf sent him a sheepish look and a brief caress in response, and as they entered the room, he heard Daniel say, "I wasn't able to sleep right away last night, and it occurred to me that although the memory recall device would probably work, it could also bring forth quite a few memories you would rather not remember. Anyway, I thought we might want to consider an alternative way to try to retrieve the legends of the Tok'Ra, unless we can come up with a plausible reason for wanting the memory recall device. It is something we need to give some thought too, at any rate. We do not want to arouse undue suspicion as to why we want whatever we ask for."

"Do you have a way to proceed without it in mind, Daniel?" Malek asked as he poured more hot chocolate into his cup. He had learned to respect Daniel's intellect and hunches. If Daniel thought that they should rethink the entire idea, then he probably already had, and had an alternative worked out as well.

"Well, we could ask Valynara to search your minds. I have no idea if they have the ability to do something that intense and detailed, but if they do, it might be more comfortable for all of you than having all kinds of long forgotten and possibly unpleasant memories dredged up and replayed in living color with sound, by the recall device," Daniel answered. "I remember that when Sam and Kataya joined their minds, neither of them remembered what the other had seen and heard, so if Valynara could keep you from knowing then, as I said, you would not have to deal with all kinds of unpleasant memories surfacing."

"It was just a thought though and, since you are the ones that will be undergoing whichever procedure is decided upon, it is really up to you," he continued in an absent-minded tone.

It was obvious that his thoughts were already racing toward the remainder of the day, and the discoveries that might possibly await him in the temple. At least, so it appeared to the others at the table.

Only Martouf felt there was more behind his absent-mindedness than the translation work facing him. He had dreamed 'the dream' himself after Daniel and he had talked about it and in his dream the last of the bindings holding Kataya had broken and she had arisen and faced Merdwin. In addition, her eyes had been amethyst and remained that way.

Merdwin had called forth a fire that Lantash had never seen before. He had gathered Kataya close in his arms and allowed it to consume them for what seemed an eternity. When it had finally stopped, Kataya had seemed stronger although still very pale and thin.

She then turned to Samantha and the two of them stood arm in arm as Merdwin brought forth another energy that enveloped the three of them. They stood in it for some unknown amount of time and when they emerged from it they appeared stronger, but still obviously far from their once robust and healthy selves. Both women had shaken their heads no to something Merdwin had said and he had acquiesced.

Martouf and Lantash had continued to watch as their mates had stepped behind screens. Priestesses were bustling about restoring order to this room that had seen so much blood and anguish, bringing it to a state of orderliness that belied anything of moment had ever happened there. When Samantha and Kataya emerged from behind the screens in their Katteri uniforms, they had girded themselves.

Then they had faced the portal where he and he now realized Daniel, stood watching them. He felt their love and trust flow over and through him and hoped Daniel was feeling it. After that one long loving look, they left the altar room together. He had no idea where they went, but the look on Merdwin's face was one of deep satisfaction as well as weariness. He was pleased, of that there was no doubt.

As Martouf sat down beside him Daniel returned his attention to the present and asked, "How is Lantash this morning, Martouf? Did you and he both sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you, Daniel, we slept quite deeply, and Lantash says he feels much better today. He had some very interesting and pleasant dreams that made him feel more comfortable. He believes the filaments are healing quite well and he says he can communicate much more easily today," Martouf answered before greeting the others at the table.

"I am glad to hear it," Jack said. "We'll all head for the temple after we've finished eating. You, Daniel, and Malek will be working exclusively on the writings, and the remainder of us will be splitting guard duty and helping wherever we're needed."

"Martouf, you and Lantash will take a break and rest in the early afternoon, earlier if we see you getting tired. We will take some sleeping bags and you can rest there. If you don't agree to that, then I'll make resting an order and you can spend several hours here, sleeping. I know you would rather be in the temple where you can hear and see what is going on, so that is my compromise. Rest there or be brought back here for several hours. It's up to you," Jack said quietly, in a tone that did not brook opposition.

Martouf and Jack stared, almost glaring, at one another for a moment and then Martouf smiled slightly, "Yes, sir, Colonel. I will do my best to do as you have asked. Lantash will also try to accommodate you, and he does, in fact, feel that he may very well be tired by early afternoon. He believes that he will be only too happy to take a break and rest. Assuming, of course, that Artereos has sent the supplies and we actually do have work to do this morning. If not, then I imagine we will all be resting rather than getting anything much accomplished."

Seeing the hint of belligerence in Martouf's first response, had assured the others that he was indeed feeling better. All of the Tok'Ra present knew that the initial response was a true to Lantash response. No doubt, he was getting better.

Attempting to insure the almost troubled waters stayed calm, Daniel said, "Well, if he does not get it sent right away, we can spend the time videotaping the walls. I want us to go through and try to determine which of the words she had them add in later. Then I want etchings of them made and placed so that we know exactly where they each were in relation to one another. We are going to have to determine if we need to read them from left to right, right to left, horizontally or vertically. I will want to be able to…"

"Aaah! Daniel!" Jack cried as he held his hands to his ears. "I think this can wait until we get to the temple, and then you can explain it to only those of us it will pertain too. Since I am '_not'_ going to be involved in that part of this mission, it does _'not'_ include me," Jack stated firmly.

"All right, Jack," Daniel, said sounding meek, but the grin he sent his friend was unrepentant. "I will wait to give them the details of what this is going to entail, until we arrive at the temple and you are checking the perimeter."

"Thank you. Now, does anyone know how to get there from here? We checked out the area somewhat last night and this morning Teal'c and I checked out a pretty wide area and there isn't a temple in sight."

"Well, Jack, we might try asking one of the people here how to get there. They were here just a short time ago setting out breakfast. I imagine they are still here. I will check the kitchen area and see if I can find one of them and if not ring the bell thing and one of them should turn up," Jacob suggested as he headed for the door that had been indicated the night before as the area where the food would be stored.

The other members of the group began to gather what they felt they might want to have with them while Martouf finished eating his meal. Before standing and heading for their shared room, Daniel turned to him and said softly for his ears alone, "I dreamed again, too. Short version; the last of the bonds broke, her eyes were amethyst and Kataya and Sam left the room together. Was yours the same?" At Martouf's nod, he stood and said in a normal tone, "I am going up for my pack and I will get yours. You make sure you eat a good breakfast."

"Yes, mother," Martouf, murmured somewhat under his breath, yet loud enough that those who were sitting a little farther down the table could hear him. Malek choked on the last of his chocolate, and Jack grinned at him and shrugged.

As he re-entered the room, Jacob said, "Alys'yat said that if we stand over there and think about the 'Temple of the Twilight Nights' we will be taken there. Once we are all back in here together, I suggest we try it. If it doesn't work, she said for Daniel to contact Valynara through the link he established with her last night and she will come for us."

Jack nodded his acceptance of the plan of action and proceeded to call Teal'c, Lieutenant Stevenson, and Brialek in to gather their packs and get ready to accompany them to the temple.

"Should we take snacks?" Jack asked of no one in particular. Daniel chortled and Teal'c raised an eyebrow before heading for the 'kitchen'. He emerged shortly with a woven basket, which he presented to Jack with a flourish and a trenchant, "Your snacks, O'Neill."

Placing it over his arm, Jack looked inside and said, "Where is Toto?" at the same time Daniel stepped into the group that had assembled and were waiting, as usual, on him, and concentrated on the Temple of the Twilight Nights. It surprised no one to find that they were suddenly inside the temple.

* * *

Once in the temple, the group split up into groups. Somehow, it seemed understood that Teal'c, Brialek, and Lieutenant Stevenson would take guard duty. Jocasta and Jacob, also, wandered around outside to help keep an eye on the surroundings, although Jack was beginning to believe that, as Valynara stated, a guard truly was not needed.

Daniel, Martouf, and Malek began to study the walls and before long, Jacob and Jocasta joined them. It took little time for them to realize that the wall where Lantash had first realized the writing was different was the most obvious of the four. Some of them, however, were so well done that it was extremely difficult to tell the old from the new.

Daniel started by dividing the walls into sections. Then he put each of them to work on a specific section of the wall they were starting with. They needed to make lists of the symbols they felt were different and keep track of which part of the section of the wall they were on, the position they were in, and if they seemed to form a noticeable pattern.

Then they would each double check to see if they all agreed on the symbols that each had chosen as different. The ones they disagreed on would go into a separate group, and they would use them if something in the grouping they came from made no sense.

However, it would be some time before they were to that point. It was going to take days just to determine which symbols were different on the first wall he had chosen to work on, and it was the easiest of all of them from what he had figured out so far.

Daniel was pleased to see the supplies he needed arrive mid-morning and he at once began to study the tomes and parchments that Artereos had sent to him. There were no legends or stories in the things he had sent this time. These papers and books would help with the translations though and that was all right for now. He would ask Valynara to request the old legends if Artereos did not send them.

However, he suspected that they would arrive later, after he had time to form a working knowledge of the language. They would not be much use to him until then, anyway. Within a few hours, he had a rudimentary grasp of what he was seeing, and he knew that the symbols they were looking for were slightly different from the original, which should make them easier to spot.

Their 'caretakers' arrived in the early afternoon and presented them with a meal. After eating, Martouf chose to rest, before Jack could even bring the subject up, and to his surprise and everyone else's he had fallen deeply asleep.

Having awakened a couple of hours later, he sat up but leaned lazily against a wall and watched as Daniel and Malek discussed the different symbols and argued amicably back and forth over the merits of choosing one symbol over another. Standing and finding he was feeling very near to normal, he brushed the dirt and dust from his hands and ambled over to them as they debated a particular cluster of symbols.

"I believe all seven of these symbols are newer," Daniel said as he studied them intently. Hearing Martouf come up behind him, he turned slightly and after looking at him intently and deciding he was looking better, he brought his attention back to the symbols in question.

"Martouf, look at this," he said, his voice holding barely suppressed excitement. "If I'm correct and all seven of these words are new then I think we've found some important information. I think they are trying to describe a place, in detail. I suspected that from a grouping of words that we found earlier. I've looked at the wall over there, and if I'm not mistaken, it's going to give us clues to the actual locations or planets."

"I think she kept the two separate and once we find the locations, then the information on this wall will give us the descriptions of the areas she used on the planets in question. What these words actually say are not as important right now, as the fact that they are a clue as to how she wrote and placed her information. Once we are sure of that then the actual words themselves become important in the larger picture."

"Unfortunately, even doing the grid work and each of us agreeing on the symbols and scripts that are important, I believe that I am going to have to translate almost all of the writings on these walls to be sure we are not missing anything. I am hopeful it will not take a great deal of time, though, because this is a fairly simple use of symbols and script."

"Of course, once we get all of this figured out then we can try to fit it into whatever we finally come up with of legends. I am still of the opinion that it is possible there are some old Tok'Ra legends that also give us pertinent information."

"What makes you think this wall is descriptions of places rather than planets, Daniel?" Martouf asked.

"Mostly, it is the words that she used. For instance, this is a grouping of seven words: great, water, green, mountains, fountain, rock, and temple. If I am correct, it means there is a temple near a large lake and there will be a fountain in it. Also, that it is in the mountains. I am guessing there is more here than that though because it is too easy to figure out. It is very much too obvious. Therefore, I think one of these walls will tell us more detail or maybe even directions. The hard part will be in determining which details or directions go with each set of descriptions and planets. We may even find more clues hidden in and around these things."

"So you have determined that one wall probably tells us which worlds she left her offspring on and the other walls give more details of the exact locations she left them?" Lantash came forward to inquire.

"Yes, at this point, judging only by what we have so far discovered, that is my working hypothesis. She may have used more than one wall for the Worlds but as things stand right now, I don't think so. What little chance I've had to look at everything we've found so far, has not led me to believe that. Everything I have been able to decipher leads me to believe that one wall is the worlds she used; the other walls are descriptions and directions once we find the worlds. Moreover, I think that one of these walls may be a personal message to her surviving children, but I'm not sure so don't get your hopes up on that, okay? I could be wrong, because it also sounds like the story of the person or persons who built this temple. So it could be that, too."

Malek nodded, saying, "We understand, Daniel, and we will try not to be disappointed if it is not from Egeria. After all, she left us the note hidden at the base of the fountain, so we do have that from her as well as all of this other information. And if her daughters have survived then we will have a new Queen, a new," he paused and cleared his throat, "a new mother of our race," he finished softly.

As Daniel, Martouf, and Malek studied the words and debated the differences in the symbols and scripts, they immersed themselves deeply in what they were discussing. Jack had returned from outside and he, Jacob, and Jocasta stood to one side talking quietly about nothing in particular, taking a break from studying the wall they were working on. They stopped talking and stared at the transport area.

"Daniel. Martouf," Jack said quietly, "Artereos has sent some more, ah, supplies."

"Okay, Jack, just set them aside, and I'll take a look at them in a minute," Daniel agreed. "I've been expecting him to send some books of legends and perhaps songs that tell the stories of the Myst-time; some tomes that could prove to be useful a little farther down the road."

"Oh, yeah, I would say he definitely thought these things would be useful. I just hope we can find somewhere to put them. They are gonna take up a heck of a lot of room," Jack's voice sounded almost disgusted at the thought of having to find room for the newest supplies. "Daniel, I really think you need to take care of this stuff yourself," Jack continued firmly. "I really do _not_ want to handle it. I'm afraid I might break some of it, and it looks like it is irreplaceable. Martouf, you, and Malek both need to help him." Getting nowhere yet, Jack cleared his throat and tried again, saying, "Daniel, I can guarantee you that if I touch this stuff you will be very unhappy about it when you find out what he sent you guys."

Sounding thoroughly exasperated, Daniel moaned, "Not now, Jack, we're in the middle of something here." Daniel continued without turning around, and his voice became much crisper as he responded with firm instructions, "If it's that delicate or old then just—just be really careful when you pick it up. Move it to one side in case he sends any more stuff. We will get around to it later; it can't be anything we need right this moment."

Martouf and Malek leaned toward him to look at his notes and back at the wall, both completely immersed in their discoveries, and only peripherally registering the conversation that was going on. The three of them were obviously going to be able to work well together. All three had an intense interest in what they were finding. It was plain to see that this would soon become an obsession for the three men if someone did not keep a careful eye on them, so that they could curb any excesses.

Jack, Jacob, and Jocasta stood completely still, barely breathing, as they waited for one of them to realize that something was not quite right. It did not take too long at all. Suddenly sensing the oddness of the silence that had fallen behind them, Malek's curiosity finally broke his concentration on the translations and caused him to turn his head. Looking over his shoulder, he caught his breath. As if in slow motion, he lifted his hand and placed it on Daniel's shoulder. His voice strained with suppressed emotion, he was almost whispering as he said, "Daniel, Jack is correct. I think you and Martouf both need to look at what Artereos has sent to us."

TBC


	5. The Reality 5 DOTQ

**_Chapter Five Summary: _**_Martouf and Daniel are surprised at the "supplies" that Artereos has sent but are very pleased to have them. Merdwin arrives with some equipment they may need. _

**_Amat Wyn_**_ – My Love_

**_Amates Wyn_**_ – My Loves_

**_Coeurawyn_**_ – My Heart_

**_Caruswyn _**_– My Dear, My Dearest_

**_Igisadonis _**_– Beloved_

**_Aima Coeurawyn_**_ – Blood of My Heart_

**_"Italics_**_" – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic communications_

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

**_Chapter Five  
_**

**_The Reality_**

* * *

Daniel and Martouf stopped what they were doing and looked at Malek in surprise. There was definitely a thread of barely suppressed excitement in the Tok'Ra's voice. They looked at one another and then turned to look at the transport area. Neither of them said anything as they took in the "_supplies_" that Artereos had sent them and attempted to assimilate the truth of what they were seeing.

"I promised to return as soon as I could, _Coeurawyn_, and as you can now see, I spoke truth. I have come home to you, _Caruswyn_," Gwennetha said softly.

"Are you not glad to see us at last, Beloved?" Kataya asked, quietly. "We are sorry it has taken so long, but we did come as soon as we could, I promise you."

"Martouf, Lantash, _Amates Wyn_," the beautiful blonde standing beside her said, "We really are here. We are not a dream or a delusion. We came as soon as our journey ended." Although she assured them she was real, she looked as pale and ethereal as an angel would.

Jack and Jacob stood grinning at them, watching, as they stood in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were seeing. At long last, Martouf took a deep breath and stepped forward, toward the three women standing, waiting for their answers. Stopping to stand before Samantha, he reached out slowly and ran his fingers gently down her face. Feeling the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips, he oh-so-slowly, allowed his arms to reach for her, as if afraid to move to quickly, lest she disappear. Groaning her name as he felt the solidness of her body, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. Burying his face in her hair, and breathing in her scent, he clung to her as if he would never again let her go.

As he felt her arms come around him and cling to him just as tightly, he heard her murmuring their names and speaking of her love for them, softly, gently, repeatedly. Feeling the wetness of her tears as they bathed his throat and dampened his shirt, he stroked her hair, cradling her softness and reveling in the feel of her.

Knowing what this moment meant to Lantash, Martouf released control to him, so that he could hold her and say all the things he had not been able to tell her before. They felt her smile softly against their neck as she registered the change, even now able to tell them apart. She gave him the assurances he had needed for so long. She had known, she told him, and her tears fell faster still, at the pain he had been in, then and since. She heard his voice, barely above a whisper, yet hoarse with emotion, as he pleaded with her not to cry, "For your tears are breaking my heart, yet again, my Samantha, _Aima Coeurawyn_."

"I am crying because I am back in your arms where I belong, _Igisadonis_, not because I am sad. I do love you both, so much," she whispered her reassurance to them, as they softly caressed her hair and back, as if they must constantly make sure that she was truly there and real.

As he caressed her, he realized that she was indeed much thinner than she had been. Always slender, she was beyond that now, and she felt fragile in his arms. His dreams had been real then. Something had happened, and she had been worn and tired to the point of exhaustion. Nevertheless, the fire still glowed in her beautiful blue eyes, and the corded muscles spoke of physical strength that was still there. Even though her body was exhausted, it would heal.

Dear Universe, she had kept her promise. How he had missed this woman, her voice as she talked, her laugh when he said something that amused her, her kisses as they feathered across his flesh and set fire to his body, her body, her warmth, and her love; in short, everything about her. Would he wake up in a minute and find himself alone and cold once again? No, not this time; this time she was real. His hands continued to caress her, to try to imprint onto his mind, that this time she was indeed truly real, not a dream, not an illusion, but soft flesh and warm blood.

Daniel and Kataya stood quietly and gazed at one another, their eyes seeking, speaking, knowing. Kataya brought her arms up and crossed them over her chest, bowing her head in the age-old way of the formal Furling greeting. Raising her head, she looked at him and perhaps realizing his loss of words, she said to him, "I greet thee with love and joy, my Lord Dayillon of Alexandrian, Beloved of My Soul. Long have I yearned to touch thee, hear thy voice, and once again walk by thy side. You are the Blood of My Heart and to be with you once again, fulfills the essence of my spirit, and allows my blood to sing within my heart. Now…I am whole." As she finished speaking, she extended her hands toward him in the gesture of openness, faith, and trust.

Slowly, Daniel brought his arms up and across his chest. He bowed his head in the gesture of respect, and on raising his head, he said, his voice husky with emotion, "I welcome and greet thee with love and joy, my Lady, Kataya of Cadwaellon, Blood of My Heart. I, too, have yearned to have you by my side once again, to hear your voice, and feel your touch. You are the Beloved of My Soul, my other half; now that you have returned, my blood once again sings in my heart and my soul whispers of the fulfillment of its essence. Now…I am whole." Extending his hands, he softly touched his fingertips to hers.

He could feel her, solid, real, soft, and warm. As Daniel felt the trembling of her fingers, and looked into the violet eyes of his mate, the disbelief that had held him since first turning to see her standing there and hearing her voice, suddenly left him. He swept forward to gather her fiercely into his embrace and hold her desperately to his heart. It was as well that he had gone through the Furling greeting on automatic, because it had been too long and too unbearable, to wait even one second more to have her held close and secure in his arms.

Dear god, how fragile she felt, as if a breeze could blow her away. His dreams had been truth. Something had happened to his Kataya. As his arms held her, he was reassured though, for there was still strength in her, and her eyes were clear and glowed with an inner fire, as they always had. She was still the warrior that she had always been, would always be, and she was still his mate, as she had always been, would always be.

Daniel followed in Martouf and Lantash's steps as he cradled her, caressed her, and murmured her name. He felt the scalding tears run down his neck and soak into his shirt and knew that these were tears of release and thankfulness. They spoke of her fear and sorrow and joy all at the same time. As he buried his face in her hair, much as Martouf and Lantash were doing with Sam, he allowed his tears to fall and felt no shame in them. All the pain, all the loneliness, and now all the joy, were in those tears, and they mingled with hers and helped to ease both of their hearts.

As they stood and absorbed the reality of one another, they became lost to the world around them. The two couples would not have known if the sky had fallen, they were so deeply involved in the enchantment and wonder of the moment. At last, their journey done, the Dragon's were home and in their lover's embrace, the safe haven of their hearts.

Gwennetha looked beyond them to the mate of her soul and stepped toward him. At last, Malek was able to move toward her and take her in his arms. Holding her gently, he murmured to her, saying all the things he had wanted to say for so long. She was here at last, as she had said she would be, and even if it was only for an hour, it was a balm to his heart.

Then, looking at the two couples that were still lost to the world around them, he asked quietly, "How long will you remain here? When must you return?"

"We are here for as long as we are needed, Malek. It is over. We will no doubt explain it all this evening, but the short version is that Morgasha's soul has been bound and my mother's freed." Seeing the questions in his eyes, she leaned forward and kissed him gently, shaking her head, "It has been a very long and hard fought battle, Malek, and more than once, we thought we would lose my mother. You will hear all of it later, I promise you. Please, _Coeurawyn_, for now, all I want is to feel your love surround and soothe me, and to know that my mother and Samantha are truly here with us, free and with their mates, as they should be."

Turning her head slightly, as it lay nestled on his shoulder; she looked toward her mother and Samantha. She was aware that Malek also watched as the two couples stood quietly within each other's embrace. She knew that both her mother and Samantha were crying quietly. Not because they were unhappy, but because the nightmare they had been living these past several months was finally ended. They were being held in the arms of the men they loved more than anything else in this or any other world. They were home in their lover's arms, as she was.

* * *

Jack, Jacob, and Jocasta watched for a few moments, and then they left the three couples to reunite in at least comparative privacy. They would soon notify the others that they would be leaving, but not just yet. It would be an early evening for them all, as they were sure that not only would the couples want to spend time with their mates, but there were a lot of questions to be answered. It would be time to head back to their lodgings before long.

Jacob slapped Jack on the back. "I told Selmak and Jocasta that Sam and Kataya would return to us," he smiled at Jack for a moment longer before slowing his pace and saying in a quieter tone of voice, "They look kinda tired and thin. As if they have been ill. At least, Kataya looks like she has been ill. Seriously, ill, and that is weird. I don't think of a Furling as being sick. Sam just looks tired, as if she is all but exhausted and hasn't been eating or sleeping much." Frowning now, he added, "They are both awfully damn thin, actually. I hope they tell us what happened after they were taken."

"Yeah, you're right. And I agree that Kat looks like she has been sick or something. Dammit, I hope she is not. I don't know if Daniel could stand to lose her again."

Sobering completely at that thought, Jacob looked at Jack before saying quietly, "I don't think Artereos would have sent them, if that was likely to happen, Jack. He would have just let Daniel think she had died at the time and left it at that. He wouldn't put him through that again, and I imagine that whatever happened to Sam and Kataya is why he didn't tell us that they weren't dead." He frowned before saying, "If they weren't, that is. From what little I understand of the Furling life cycle, I suppose they could have been dead, huh?"

"Yeah, that is kind of the way I get it too, Jacob. They were probably dead for all intents and purposes. I had Sam in my arms, and she was _not_ breathing. I think we all know that. So maybe they came back, or maybe they were only in a coma like state or something, but whatever it was, the sooner we get everyone gathered and get back to camp, the faster we'll find out."

"Right. We have left them alone for a while now. Call the others and we'll go back," Jacob said, cheering up and beginning to grin again. "I want to hug my daughter, too, y'know?"

Jack grinned, "Yeah, I know, me too, Jacob. Me, too." Keying the radio, he called Teal'c.

"Teal'c here. Is there a problem, O'Neill?"

"Nope, not a thing wrong. Gather Stevenson and Brialek, and come back to the temple. We have a surprise for you. Hurry up, we're heading back to base camp."

"Have Daniel Jackson and Martouf found something significant, O'Neill?"

"You could say that, Teal'c. Yup, you could say that, but it doesn't have anything to do with the little Queens."

Shutting down the radio, he turned back to Jacob and Jocasta as the reality set in and he grinned even wider. His arm pumped the air as he shouted, "Yes! Carter's back! Woo-who!"

* * *

Entering the temple, they were taken aback somewhat, to see all three couples on the floor, the men leaning against the walls and cradling the sleeping forms of the women in their arms. Merdwin was standing and looking at them with a worried frown upon his face. He turned as Jack, Jacob, and Jocasta entered the room.

"Mer, somehow I'm not surprised to see you here," Jack said softly, so as not to awaken the sleeping women. "I hope you've come to tell us what's been going on or help with the translations."

Merdwin shook his head and laughed softly, before saying, "I have come only to check on these two stubborn, recalcitrant, women, and confer with Valynara on what must be done for Kataya and Samantha to enable them to heal quickly. They should have remained longer in the All to gather strength, but they did not choose to, and keeping Kataya from Daniel and Samantha from Martouf and Lantash is like trying to stop a raging river."

"They spent only the minimum amount of time needed to sever their ties. They should have remained to gather strength, as I said, but since they would not consider that option, I am doing the next best thing and leaving instructions on their care. Behind their backs, of course," his smile was completely unrepentant.

"Merdwin, _Amat Wyn_, your misplaced confidence in your abilities when it comes to hiding things from me never ceases to amuse me. You should know by now that you cannot do things like that without me finding out," Kataya said softly, as she opened bright violet eyes and looked at him in amusement. "By all means, leave instructions with Valynara on our care and feeding, for it will allow you to feel better, but also know that I am very much aware of my own weaknesses and the need to do nothing to aggravate them. Please trust me to get sufficient rest and meditation. Samantha, also, will take care of both of us, as she has been doing, and we will take extra care to see that she regains her strength and abilities, also."

Sighing, she indicated she wished to stand, and Daniel released her so that they could both come to their feet and join the group standing, watching them. Continuing her comments to Merdwin, she said, "Remember that we have Gwennetha now, and soon we might have Lanwin and Taesha. All of them are capable of doing healing on us, which will help our recovery. Moreover, we have the strength to manifest and begin to draw energy that way should the need arise. There are, in fact, numerous avenues open to us, and we will use any of them that we feel we need to, I promise you."

Smiling gently, as she placed her hand on his arm, she said softly, but firmly, "The ordeal is ended, _Amat Wyn_. Please, let it go, and do not worry so. It is finally over for all of us, and you must learn to believe that, and stop blaming yourself. You could not stop what happened, and you were there to care for us and see to it that she did not succeed. We are very glad you were there for us, _Coeurawyn_. Stop beating yourself up over this."

Looking at him with her emotions plainly written on her face, she said quietly, "I promise you, that should either Samantha, or I, feel the need to return to the All, we will do so. Now that Daniel, Martouf, and Lantash have the proof that we will return as soon as we can, they will not feel the deep sense of loss they lived through before. I do not believe we will need to, but I give you my solemn word that should we truly need the healing that can only come from within the All, we _will_ go."

Those listening could tell this topic was not new. It was easy to see that Merdwin was reluctant to leave the two of them, but it was also apparent he realized he must. They were adults, and as such, they were the ones that made the final decisions about their welfare.

He nodded slowly and then smiled somewhat wryly, "I am aware of those things, _Coeurawyn_, and I will agree to let you manage on your own. I know you will do what you need to do to get well, and I will attempt to put the last six months behind me. That I will promise you."

"Well, Mer, once you are back at the SGC and with your mate, perhaps you will have more important things to think about and do, than to worry over us," Sam said quietly, from where she now stood wrapped in Martouf's arms, letting them know that she, too, had awakened and was aware of the conversation going on around her.

Seeing her father standing next to the Colonel, she gently loosened Martouf's hold on her and rushed to him. In her eagerness, she almost knocked him off his feet, as she flew into his arms. "Dad, it's great to see you. I've missed you, so much," she said, as she buried her face in his neck. The familiar scent that was Jacob reached her, and she hugged him close.

"God, I've missed you, too, Sam. So much. Even though I suspected you'd be back someday, still, it was so hard, knowing you were gone from us. I missed my little girl," he said, his voice husky with suppressed tears.

"I know, Dad, and I'm sorry. There was no other way. You know that, don't you? If there had been another way, we would have taken it."

"I know, Sweetheart, we all understood that; we really did. We may not have liked it, but we did understand it."

Releasing her father from the tightness of her hug, she asked, "So when did you and Jocasta become mates? I told you to do it before the Battle. I'm very happy for you, for both of you," she added, as she smiled at Jocasta. Seeing the shock on their faces, she said, "I, um, can still pick up stray thoughts and stuff, emotions, you know. I, um, picked up a little bit of apprehension from Jocasta about your relationship, so I figured you had gone ahead and joined. I'm right, aren't I? You did finally become joined, didn't you?" Sam asked, eagerly.

Seeing her father flush slightly, she laughed lightly, saying, "I'm really glad, Dad. I told you before the Battle that I thought you should; I meant it then, and I mean it now. I'm happy for you."

After hugging Jacob again, she was surprised when he kissed her gently, and said, "Thanks, kid. We're very happy, and Daur'rin and Jocasta take excellent care of us. In fact, they spoil us rotten, if the truth is told." Seeing the love that passed between them, Sam smiled at them, glad that her dad had found a mate that brought him happiness. He deserved it.

"How are Daur'rin and Selmak?" She asked Jacob. "I guess they really haven't had time yet to say hello. We probably shouldn't have sprung it on you all like this, but we didn't want to wait any longer. We just wanted to come home to our families," she said softly, as she stepped forward to welcome Jocasta and let her know she was happy for them.

"Daur'rin and Selmak are fine, Samantha, and we will all talk later, I am sure, but for now, she says just to tell you how very glad she is that you have returned. I am quite sure that Selmak feels the same. He was very upset over your…your death. However, he agreed with Jacob that you would return, and I know he thought of you often, for he spoke of you often," Jocasta told her, as she returned her embrace.

"Thank you, Jocasta. I'm very glad about you and Daur'rin and my father and Selmak, I really am," Sam assured her again, before turning to look at Jack O'Neill.

Stepping forward to him, they shared a brief hug that said more than words could have. He was her commanding officer, but he was also family. All of these people were her family.

"It's about time you got back, Carter," O'Neill said. "Do you have any idea what they've saddled me with for the last six months? If it hadn't been for Teal'c, Daniel, Martouf, and Lantash, I'd have strangled them all."

Malek and Gwennetha joined the group in time to hear Daniel chide Jack gently, "They haven't been bad, Jack. You just have no tolerance."

"I don't like scientists, Daniel. They've given me nothing but geeks until this time. Lieutenant Stevenson is the first one that has had a brain for anything other than science."

"Ellen Stevenson? She's very bright," Sam said, as she remembered the young Lieutenant they had rescued. She followed up on her at the time and found that she was indeed extremely bright. Sam had thought she had an excellent chance of a good career at Stargate Command. "She'd make a great addition to the team, but is she Second in Command?"

Jack stared at her in consternation, "Ah, no, that would be Major Lantash of the USAF. I believe you knew him when he was just a Tok'Ra," Jack said with a wry smile, as he watched Sam's look of disbelief change to one of pride.

She turned to give Martouf another hug and a swift kiss before saying, "I knew you were with them still, but I had no idea you had become a Major. We only saw you in your dream states, so I had no way of knowing," she murmured quietly, as the conversation continued around them. She frowned as she saw the pain her words had caused to surface. Moving back to stand within his arms, she said softly, "We will explain everything later, I promise."

Martouf nodded his agreement, saying, "I know you will and perhaps after we are all back at the house where we are lodging, have had our evening meal, and are relaxing would be a good time."

"Merdwin, what are your plans for now?" Kataya's question attracted their attention.

"I am on my way to the SGC to be with Janet and help their new warriors settle in. Most of them were with us during the Great Battle and so are familiar with the SGC systems, but a couple of them are new. You will be able to help Daniel with the translations here almost as well as I could, and if they run into problems, you can link Daniel and confer with Artereos."

"The books of legends and history that Daniel desired will be delivered to your lodgings. Since he wrote many of them, once he sees them, he may remember more than enough without having to look many things up. Lanwin and Taesha will be here later on, but for the moment, they are helping at the SGC with the new warriors."

Searching his pockets, he found what he had been looking for and handed them to Malek. "I have brought two memory recall devices, if you still wish to use them. A screen will be delivered along with the books in case you wish to use it."

"Alanna was kind enough to visit with Garshaw and, ah, request a copy of all the history files they had available. It seems that Alanna has decided to write a definitive _"history of the Tok'Ra as handed down in their legends and songs"_ and Per'sus gave instructions that she was to have unlimited access to all files that could be pertinent to her research." Merdwin's look was innocence itself. Anyone that knew Alanna well would find her sudden desire to write a history of the Tok'Ra odd, to say the least. The amusement on Kataya's face indicated that she, at least, was quite cognizant of the absurdness of the idea.

Thank the universe, she had not been a Tok'Ra long enough for anyone there to know her well. Moreover, evidently, her symbiote was well known for taking new and unusual projects on, only to abandon them when they could no longer hold her interest. It fit in perfectly with what they needed.

Merdwin handed two crystals, some readers and data pads to Daniel. "She also sent what records they had on her home base, which is actually probably everything, including what she received from Garshaw, but she took their information, too, just to be sure. All of the information should be on those two crystals. We included the data pads thinking you probably would need something to keep your records on. They are very similar to your laptop computers, but with more memory available, and they will interface with the crystals and the readers. You will have no problems using them, and we included enough that everyone could have one. You can lock each of them, so that no one else can access them. A precaution you will want to use if you return to the SGC, which as I am sure you know, would probably not be a good idea. General Hammond is aware of the situation and does not expect your return anytime soon."

"Thank you, Merdwin, that is much appreciated. I was wondering how I was going to keep everything straight and had decided I'd have to contact the General to get some of our computers sent through," Daniel said. "These crystals sound like exactly what we needed to get from the Tok'Ra base; we just couldn't come up with a good reason for asking for them."

"You are all most welcome. It was Artereos's idea for Alanna to decide to write the history. It worked well, and we got the information very quickly. I suspect that Garshaw is aware that the information is not for Alanna, and Artereos, or I, will soon have a meeting with her to explain what is happening, as we did with Per'sus. They are the only two people outside of those of us here, who will know. Ah, and George. I told him yesterday, right after we refused your code. I decided it would be better if this was not talked of aloud, so I took it upon myself to inform him of what is happening."

Grinning as he thought of what else he had to tell them, he said, amusement plain in his voice, "General Hammond will make the announcement of the return of Kataya and Samantha, along with the information that SG-1 will be spending an extended period of time away, possibly at Avilion or Cadwaellon, while Kataya and Samantha recover. It is being explained as an extended period of relaxation as a reward from Artereos for a job well done or some such thing."

Seeing the stunned look on Jack's face, he continued, "Unlikely, I know, but George is letting it be known that Artereos is somewhat eccentric and Kataya is, after all, his only daughter, so he wants her and her mate and team to be together. It will make as much sense as anything else we could come up with as to why you will all be gone for a while. I do not believe he will put a time frame on the length of time you will be gone, since we don't know how long the translation work will take."

Becoming solemn once again, he explained, "Once you have what you need, although you could return to the SGC to work on it, I do not believe that you will find that it would be best. Keeping this secret on the base would be much harder to accomplish than if you simply stay here, which Valynara is more than happy for you to do. If you remain here after your time with Artereos, then we will come up with a reason. Perhaps an off-world base with Tau'ri, Tok'Ra, and Furling doing missions together. We shall see as events unfold what would be best to do. As for the Tok'Ra, as I said, Artereos or I will speak to Garshaw privately about what is happening. I imagine we will set up a link that will include George and they will come up with a reason for the Tok'Ra involved to remain away with the Tau'ri and Furling. If the off-world base does not seem to meet the need then I suspect there will be an '_exchange program_' of some sort worked out. The truth, of course, is that we do not know how things will work out, and we will have to adjust our thinking as circumstances change."

"If we decide on the exchange program scenario, then some SGC personnel may find themselves temporarily assigned to the Tok'Ra. This should actually work in your favors, as far as better relations between the two races. A very good start was made during the weeks before the Great Battle. Now, we will try to further the accord that was formed, and try to deepen the ties that were forged."

Frowning, he looked around at the group who were about to become the guardians of the secrets of this world, and said, "What you have found here will not be discussed at the SGC. George is the only one that knows why you are here, and what you are doing. I am glad you had the foresight not to inform the Tok'Ra council. I believe there may still be a leak somewhere there and that possibility exists at the SGC as well. It is not a thought that should be discounted as untrue or unlikely, at any rate. I do not really believe even the N.I.D. would be foolish enough to deal with the Goa'uld, but we cannot be sure."

"You seem well versed in our business, Mer. What do you know about the N.I.D.?" Jack asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Enough to know that they are dangerous to us. It is my business to know, Jack. We may have to work on cleaning that little mess up at some point, but now is not the time. And, we will find the leak at the Tok'Ra base as well. Artereos feels it is time we helped in a more material way. Neither of us is convinced that the leaks are necessarily even deliberate, but in any event, they must be looked into."

Seeing the look on Jacks face, Merdwin grinned at him again. "Do not look so apprehensive, Jack. We will not cause any undue trouble, I promise you. And for now the most imperative thing is to find the queens before the System Lords, or anyone else, finds out about them."

Jack nodded, "I have to agree. I just know what you can lead us into, Mer. It's enough to make a guy nervous."

"This time you are leading us, Jack. You have found this, not us, for even Artereos knew nothing of the secrets hidden here so long ago," Merdwin reminded Jack softly.

"Minor detail, Mer. I firmly believe that when the Furling, the Tok'Ra, and SG-1 get involved in something together, all hell breaks loose eventually. Now all I've gotta do is wait for the other shoe to drop."

"As Thor would tell us, O'Neill, we must hope there will be no more falling footwear," Teal'c's deep rumble reached him from the doorway of the temple.

Coming to stand beside the Colonel, he said quietly, "I see that Major Carter and Kataya the Warrior have returned to us, at last. As you said, O'Neill, a most significant find. This is indeed good news." Bowing to Merdwin, he continued, "It is a pleasure to once again meet with you, Lord Merdwin. We have long looked forward to your return. I am sure that Dr. Fraiser is also quite pleased."

Merdwin grinned at him before replying, "It is good to see you also, my friend, and yes, she was extremely happy at the news I was able to bring her."

"Teal'c," Sam said, softly, her affection for the large quiet man evident in her voice. Going to him, she reached up, kissed his cheek, and felt herself taken into a firm, warm embrace.

"Indeed, Major Carter, I find myself at a loss for words to truly describe the feelings in my heart," and with those words surprising them all, he bowed his head in solemn acknowledgement of the emotion they were both feeling. Sam wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled at him, holding his hand in a tight grip, before turning aside to allow Kataya to also greet the large Warrior.

Using the formal Furling greetings, Teal'c and Kataya managed to express the deep thread of caring and friendship the existed between them. Their family, their team was now complete. The touching of the fingertips revealed the trembling of one to the other. The bowing of their heads spoke of their respect. The smiles they shared; their joy at being reunited. The embrace spoke from one heart to the other of the deep emotion that they shared.

Kataya greeted each of the others in turn, as she had been incapable of seeing anyone, but her Daniel, when they arrived. As she turned at last to O'Neill, and assumed the formal stance, she was surprised to be taken into a brief hard hug. Clearing his throat, Jack looked at them all, and said, "Well, shouldn't we go back to base camp? You know, get some food, have a little nice conversation, drink some port and mead. Hey, an early night…You joining us for a meal, Mer?" he asked, as he turned to face his friend, striving for nonchalance and almost making it, except for the brightness of his eyes.

"Not tonight, thank you, Jack. I must talk to Valynara, and then I am heading back to the SGC. I will return in a few days to check on you. Kataya, this planet is now shielded. Even if, by some odd chance, a Goa'uld mothership should find its way into this sector of space they would see nothing."

"I would give a lot to know how Artereos managed to convince the Nox to do that, but I will not tease you for an answer. Now, at any rate."

"It is no secret. He simply pointed out that they would be preventing an act of destruction by hiding it. They always prefer non-combat situations, as you know. If they can prevent bloodshed on both sides, they will do so."

After giving it some thought, she agreed but said, "It is a difficult thing to shield an entire planet, Merdwin. I assume this is a temporary fix?"

"Yes, it is temporary until we can spare a battle cruiser, which should actually be very soon now. With Valynara's own ships, there will be more than enough to protect the planet once the cruiser gets here."

"Good. Now you should go and talk to Val, and tell her how to tend to Samantha and I. We will go back to our '_base camp_', have a meal and a relaxing evening with our family. I wonder how Val will feel about her home being described as a camp? Knowing her, she will find it amusing."

Merdwin nodded, as he stepped to the transport area. "Yes, I am quite sure she will. Next, Jack will be calling our home on Avilion, a cabin," he said, as he disappeared.

Jack snorted in derision, "Yeah right, like I'm gonna call that castle-like thing a cabin. I don't think so. Well, lets go back to our ca-err." He stopped, now not sure exactly what to call it.

"I believe camp will be sufficient. Come, Colonel, let us go. Merdwin and I were just teasing you. Val will not care what you call it, as long as you are comfortable."

Jack grunted his acceptance of her statement, and turned to Daniel, "At least with Kat here to run the transporter thingy, we won't have to worry about where we might end up."

"Hey, I got us here okay this morning, didn't I?" Daniel demanded.

"Yeah, that time. But how do we know where we'd go next time? Your mind could wander, and we could end up anywhere. Hell, if you drive, we could end up in your bedroom, now. Just let her drive, okay?"

"Sure, Jack," Daniel blushed, agreed, and then grinned, as he said, "But don't be surprised if you end up in our bedroom instead of the family room with her driving now that you've put it into her head."

"I will be very careful not to do that, Colonel O'Neill." Stepping to the transport area the group soon disappeared, leaving the temple once again quiet and serene in the sweetly scented air.

TBC.


	6. Beyond the Dream 6 DOTQ

**_Chapter Six Summary: _**_The group returns to "camp" as Jack calls it. Valynara greets them and then Sam and Kataya take a short rest followed by a meal. Afterwards, Sam and Kataya explain what happened both at the end of the Battle and since then. They assure them that they are fine now and they all accept that...except for Janet who has arrived with Merdwin. _

**_Coeurawyn_**_ – My Heart_

**_Amat Wyn_**_ – My Love_

**_Carusawyn_**_ – My Dear One, My Dearest One_

**_Sevesh – _**_An Ancient and Archaic Rite of some type, either of Joining or Release, depending on the usage and context in which it is used._

* * *

Author's note - This is the last chapter that will be posted under this rating...the next chapter and therefore the remainder will go in under the highest rating here. Anyone wanting the next chapter without the cuts to make it acceptable here, can find it on my webpage, which is listed in my bio.

If anyone is reading this I would like to know. Starting with the next chapter the story will take a lot of editing to get it to fit with the ratings here and frankly, since there has been little evidence that anyone is following it here, I'm not sure it is worth doing it. So if you are reading it, please let me know, so that I won't disappoint you by not continuing.

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Six_**

**_Beyond the Dream_**

* * *

The smell of freshly baked pies wafted toward them as they once more found themselves at their 'camp'. The group of young people of Valdellon had been busy.

Stepping forward to greet them, Alys'yat said, "Valynara told us that you would be returning earlier than would be your usual time, and that you might want to have your evening meal somewhat earlier than usual, also. We can begin to prepare it, if you tell us when you wish to eat."

"Not for a while yet, Alys'yat," Jacob, said to her. It's still fairly early. A few hours from now would be fine, I imagine."

"As you wish. We will prepare it to be ready in three hours. Will that be acceptable? And in the meantime," she stopped for a moment and looked towards O'Neill, with a slight smile, "there will be 'snacks' set out in the lounging area."

Jack sent her one of his sweetest smiles, murmured, "thank you, they were delicious" and handed her the basket she had packed full of 'snacks' for them, just that morning. It was empty.

The group nodded their acceptance of that plan and then began to disperse to their various rooms. Martouf and Daniel realized that one of them would have to move into another room. As Daniel turned to Martouf, to tell him he would move his things, Valynara appeared.

"There is a large room right next door to Martouf and Samantha's room, Daniel, that was open. I had Alys'yat move your things earlier. Also, Samantha, Gwennetha, and Kataya's things have been taken up and put away."

"Thank you, Val," Daniel said. "I appreciate it very much. Even if you do seem to be _reading my mind_, still," he said, with emphasis.

"Nonsense, Daniel, I merely gave the matter some thought and put myself in your place to see what I would wish to have done. Once I felt confident that I understood the situation correctly, I simply had the plan carried out, that is all," she said, in so reasonable and straightforward a manner that he couldn't continue to disagree with her. Therefore, he simply gave in gracefully, as he shook his head and sighed.

As Kataya and Valynara greeted one another, it was obvious they had known one another for many years. Embracing her, after a short formal greeting, Kataya said, "It is good to see you again, my friend, and I wish you to meet Samantha, my sister and spirit twin. I understand Artereos has filled you in on who and what she is to us."

"In detail, Kataya, and I honor you both for what you have done for all of us, but mostly, of course, for my dear Egeria's offspring. Samantha, I am delighted and honored to meet you. Your coming has brought forth a great day not only for the Tok'Ra, but for the people of Valdellon as well, as they have waited millennia for the lost of Egeria's children to be found, and for the grandchildren of Egeria to be born. They have waited patiently and long, that they might join with them and help them in their battle against the evil of their brethren. They truly are waiting anxiously for the time when you bring them to the heart-home of Egeria, which will hopefully also become their heart-home. And, of course, hopefully the new Queens offspring will be born here into the birthing tanks that are awaiting them."

After the two women greeted one another, Samantha asked Valynara, "Are you saying that there are birthing tanks ready and waiting for the new Queens to give birth? Wow. You are that sure that there are Queens out there?"

Valynara nodded. "Yes, we are. Egeria would have brought them here, but by the time she realized that she was being hunted, she did not want to take the chance of giving away the worlds on which she had left offspring. She was also afraid of being caught or followed and she did not want to take the chance that she would have them with her. And last, but not least, she wanted to be sure her offspring were what she hoped they would be, before allowing them to give birth."

"I know she hoped to be able to give birth while she was here, but as far as I know she never managed to do so. Preparing a symbiote and nurturing it to become a queen is a somewhat drawn out and difficult process; however Egeria seemed to have the ability to do it fairly quickly and successfully, so we must hope that at least one of her daughters have inherited her abilities."

Valynara sighed deeply remembering those last days with her friend, then continued, "That is the impression with which I was left, anyway. She was afraid to tell us very much about those she spawned, or her ability to produce them, in case we were taken and tortured. I tried to assure her that it would not happen, but she was too afraid of what the Goa'uld could do, to truly understand that this was a protected planet and a full-scale attack would be launched at the first hint of a Goa'uld invasion. I could not get her to understand," she finished sadly.

Hoping to cheer her friend up, Kataya changed the subject, to something much less sad, "Have you spoken with Merdwin?" She asked her.

Valynara smiled widely, "Yes, I have. I was given all the instructions on how to care for the two of you, most of which I will ignore. I think you will know what you need to do without me telling you," she said, her amusement obvious. Sobering, she continued, "I know the ordeal took a great deal out of all of you. Even Merdwin looks extremely tired, and I can sense his depleted energy reserves. An unusual happening for him, but he seems to be handling it well."

Kataya nodded her agreement, saying, "He has been through a great deal. It was not easy on him and he is loath to let go now. He needs to go into some deep meditation himself, but I think he will wait a while longer before doing so. I believe he is still living in the fringes of the nightmare we all shared. He will heal perhaps more slowly, than either Samantha or I, for his injuries were of his mind as well as his heart."

"Because of that, I cannot become angry with his over protectiveness, so I surrender as gracefully as possible and with as little fuss as I can, yet still maintain the ability to do things in my own way. And besides," she continued, her own amusement coming to the fore, "I know that once he is with Janet, he will have other things to think about, and therefore, he will not hover over us quite so much. I think she will get him to relax and perhaps do some much needed meditation."

"Yes, I can see that it was difficult. I am sorry you had to endure that, and I know it would have been hard on Merdwin, having to inflict that on you. He has always had a deep love for you, Kataya, and nothing will change that. Having to inflict that particular rite on you would have hurt him deeply. It is well that he is such a strong-willed person."

"I have thanked the All every day for that, also, Val. Without the tireless efforts and determination of not only Merdwin but of everyone involved, I would not be here, today." Changing the subject to something less disturbing to talk about, she said, "To think that all these years we simply thought you did not wish to leave your, ah, retreat, with Caldathor, while in truth, you were safeguarding the future of an entire race. You have no idea how happy the news made Samantha and I, Val. I am so proud of you and what you have done for the Tok'Ra."

Valynara smiled at her saying, "Even without the promise to Egeria, I believe I would have been perfectly happy shut away with my Cal. We have been very happy here and still have no wish to leave and return to the bustle of life at Cadwaellon. However, now that the prophecy has come to pass and they have taken part, it is time their numbers begin to grow again. You will see to it that happens, I know."

"I understand how you feel and there is no need for you to leave here. In fact, the opposite is true, for now it must be safeguarded even more stringently, to be sure the Goa'uld do not inadvertently find out about it, and if they do they must be stopped from coming here. We must remain vigilant and you will no doubt need to remain here to guard the people of this world. I am glad you have kept your own fleet to help you, Val, for ours is spread very thin, as you know."

"It was a wise choice of Artereos' when he decided that each protected planet would have their own fleet, however small. It makes for a formidable array against which the System Lords do not wish to venture. Moreover, I will be content here for as long as that is needed. The Battle Cruiser that Merdwin has offered will be a welcome addition until I can get my own built. It had not occurred to me that I might need a larger Cruiser now, but he is correct and I will see to it." Sensing the tiredness in the two women, she said, "Both of you are tired. I should not keep you here talking when you should both be resting."

"I must admit to extreme fatigue, but I also am glad to talk to you again. Of course, if we end up here for sometime, and it looks like we will, then we will get to have a much longer visit later. I do not know about Samantha, but I am very tired. I believe I will take the time before our meal to rest. Thank you for everything, Valynara, especially for taking such good care of our family."

"I am sorry about the damage I did to Lantash and Martouf. I should not have been so quick to take action."

Shaking her head, Sam said, "I would rather you used your abilities first and asked questions later. Although we have all said it, it bears repeating that it is imperative word of what is on this world does not leak out. You did him no permanent harm and you were doing what you had promised to do. It did not hurt him in the long run and perhaps it gave him a better insight into the host/symbiote dynamic."

"That, it did, my love. Never do I want to experience that or anything even remotely like it, again," Lantash confirmed. "However, I agree with Kataya and I think you should both rest for a while before we eat."

"Only if you will rest with me, _Coeurawyn_. Now that I have you with me again, I don't want to awaken without you there beside me."

"I will lie with you and hold you until you awaken, I promise," Lantash said. "Now, come and rest."

As Daniel opened his lips to add his pleas to Lantash's, Kataya also bargained, "Yes, my Dayillon, I too will rest, if you will come, also, and lay by my side." Placing his arm around her, he turned toward the stairway. "You'll get no argument from me, Kataya. Nothing would please me more right now, than to be lying with you wrapped securely in my arms."

* * *

As she slowly came awake some time later, Kataya lay quietly and absorbed the wonder of being in her Daniel's arms. Wrapped in the warmth of her lover's arms, feeling the solidness of him, and knowing she was exactly where she wished to be, filled her with a sense of wonder. It was a pleasant change from the hastily snatched naps of pure exhaustion that had been the norm for Sam and her for the past several months. For Kataya, the feel of Daniel's strong arms cradling her was pure bliss. She had woken for so long to the bindings that held her lashed to the stone of the altar that she reveled in the way his arms held, yet protected her, strong, but gentle and loving.

Coming more fully awake, she sighed. There would be explanations to be made, and it would bring painful memories. Thank the All; Samantha had been with her throughout the entire ordeal. She had been a tower of strength, as they had known she would be. No doubt, she would take much of the explanations upon herself. But, not too much. It was painful for both of them, and she could not let Samantha handle it all alone.

Soon, they would gather downstairs and it would begin. However, once their curiosity about what had happened to the two of them was satisfied, they could begin to find out more of what Daniel, Martouf, and Lantash had found here. Artereos had told them what he knew which was quite a bit and Valynara had added more information, but still she wanted to hear what her mates had to say. They had been working on the translations already, and she was sure that Daniel would be forming theories.

She was looking forward to parts of the coming evening and the hours of darkness were not the least of them. She smiled softly to herself and trembled slightly at the thought of once again loving her Daniel. Yes, it would all be worth it, as the darkness enclosed them, and she could lose herself in his love once again. Taking an advance on the coming darkness, she allowed her lips to rove over the planes of his cheek and neck and felt him smile before he moved to catch her lips with his.

* * *

Sam came slowly awake, groggy and disoriented, until she leaned back and recognized her mates. Smiling to herself, she sighed, deeply thankful, to be in his arms once again. Breathing in his scent, she realized that Lantash was holding her. She turned around and snuggled farther into his embrace, feeling his arms tighten around her.

As he began to slowly stroke her back, she tilted her head back to look at him, whispering softly, "I've missed you so much, Lantash, you and Martouf. I've wanted and needed the feel of your hands on me, the look in your eyes for me, the firmness of your muscles under my hands, your scent; dear universe, how I've missed the scent and feel of you. Did you know that each of you has a slightly different scent, and I love both of them? I used to wake up aching for the scent and feel of you."

"I don't know if we would have survived if you had not come to us in your dreams. It helped to keep Kataya holding on, and that helped both of us. I wanted you so, and yet, we both tried, so many times, to get Merdwin to stop your coming. He knew, of course, better than we did, just how much we needed you there. I'm so sorry we allowed you to be there and see those things. Especially Daniel, I know it was a terrible thing for Daniel to see, but she needed him, Lantash. I hope you understand. And you were there for him, and he for you, just as you promised us, weren't you? You kept your promises."

She watched his chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath before saying, "Eventually, we kept our promises, my Samantha, but I am afraid that at one point I almost did not. Nevertheless, we did help each other as we promised. I helped Daniel and Martouf at the very beginning and then they helped me later when I was almost overwhelmed by your loss. Soon, we became closer than brothers are. I would do anything for either of them and I believe they each feel the same."

Sam nodded, and smiled softly, "Yes, we felt that."

"Samantha, I wish to ask you something."

"About the time we were gone? I think that explanation should wait until we can tell everyone at once. We will not wish to speak of it again."

"Not exactly, it is about the end of the Battle when you were - when you were taken."

"All right. I'll answer if I can, _Amat Wyn._"

"I could not tell exactly what was happening. It was all I could do to keep the pain away from Martouf so that he could continue functioning. I could hear what you said to us and I knew you were badly hurt." He stopped speaking, to better control the tremor in his voice, then continued, "and I was aware that you were probably not going to survive, but I was unable to do more than enable Martouf to-" his voice gave out and he closed his eyes against the memories that had tormented him for so long. "I believe in the end we both passed into unconsciousness," he finally managed to say.

"I know," Sam said gently. "I knew before the battle that all three of you would be hurt. We couldn't do anything to change that, without taking the chance of changing the outcome of the battle. I am so sorry."

"You have no need to apologize, Samantha. We are not upset that you did not tell us. We always understood that you could not, any more than Gwennetha could tell Malek, or Kataya could warn Daniel. We knew, _Coeurawyn_. I am simply saying that I did not know for sure what happened at the end."

Sam watched as Lantash swallowed almost convulsively, before clearing his throat and saying, "Martouf said, that you stopped breathing. He swears you were gone before we lost consciousness. Of course, we know that Thor took you, even though we were not aware by then. Were you truly gone from us, Samantha, or was something else going on?"

"Ah, I understand," Sam said, and then she smiled slightly before continuing, "I think we will probably answer this question later this evening, but I will give you the short answer for now, and the explanation can come later. Would that be acceptable?

"Yes, I believe that both Martouf and I can live with the short answer for a few more hours," he agreed.

"Okay, well, I guess I was dead and so was Kataya. At least, if Janet had been there she would have said we were." She stopped speaking, and a far away look came into her eyes for a moment, before she began again, saying, "The Furling priestesses were brought for Kataya and I. Their sole purpose was to be there to sustain us after we had 'died'. It is a very hard thing to explain, as I said, but I promise to try later, all right?"

"Yes, you have told me enough that I now know that Martouf was correct. I-I allowed my grief to almost overcome me at one point, Samantha, for all I could think of was that I had not been there to tell you how much you meant to me, how very much I loved you. Finally, when I had almost driven Martouf insane with my sorrow, he and Daniel forced me to face my feelings about everything. Daniel was a lifeline for us, Samantha. He was the one that forced me to talk of you and the sorrow and pain I felt at your loss, as well as the guilt and pain I was feeling, because I did not get to tell you how I felt."

"I knew you were or would be feeling that Lantash, and I tried very hard to make you understand that I loved you both and knew you both loved me. I am so very sorry it caused you so much pain and anguish, _Carusawyn._"

"It is in the past now and you are here. It was not your fault, and you could do nothing about it. We came to understand that and we have accepted it. In fact, I think it is time to put it behind us and begin anew. Tell me, my Samantha, do you wish to feel my lips once again on yours, for I am feeling an over whelming urge to kiss you."

"I think that is something I could give a definite yes to, Lantash. I think a few kisses would be wonderful right now. I hear people walking around in the hall so I suspect that we'll be called to eat soon. Let's make the most of what little time we have," she said softly as she drew closer to those beautiful lips that she had missed so much.

As they joined to hers once again, she was lost in the wonder they always brought her. The evening meal might just have to wait a little longer.

* * *

The three couples that made their way languidly down the staircase, shortly before the evening meal was served, were markedly more relaxed and rested looking, than the three that had gone up that same staircase just a few hours earlier. Obviously basking in the sense of well being that they were enjoying, they appeared to exist, at least for the moment, in a world that was made up of them and their mates, and no one else could truly understand or enter it.

It was soon apparent that they did not intend to be separated from their mates by anything or anyone for any reason. Hands entwined, it was all they could manage to do to eat the meal set before them. And while they seemed, on the surface, to be aware of what was going on and being said, it didn't take long for the others in the group to realize that they were almost certainly not really cognizant of any of the many topics of conversation that were being bandied about the table.

Once they finished their evening meal and the Valdellonians cleared the table, their demeanor changed to one of suppressed tension. Leading the way into the lounge, they found comfortable seats and waited for everyone to pour a drink and find a comfortable place to sit. Sam sat comfortably between her father and her mate. Martouf and Lantash had an arm around her cradling her against their side, while her father held the hand of the daughter he had always believed would someday return to them. Daniel and Kataya sat close by them, as if the four of them needed to stay near one another, so that all of them were in close proximity to each of their mates.

Sam began, knowing without anyone asking, the questions for which they were all wanting and needing answers. "I assume that the question on most of your minds is what happened to us after Thor took us?" She asked, of the group in general.

"Well, yeah, Carter, that'd be a nice place to start," was Jack's somewhat laconic reply. "I mean, Martouf and I saw you stop breathing. I held you in my arms after Martouf collapsed and Thor took you out of them. So, yeah, I wanna know why, if you weren't breathing, you're here now. Not," he added, "that we aren't really glad, we are, but, well, what the hell happened?"

"Those priestesses that were brought along were brought for us, Colonel. We were aware, before ever going in, that if we were going to survive the battle at all, it would be a close thing and they were our insurance. I don't know how to explain it to you exactly, except, maybe," Sam frowned for a moment and then began again. "It would be similar too, well, if we were brought to Janet, and put on life support. We would be dead if you took us off, but as long as we were on it, we were still 'alive', so to speak."

"Well, those priestesses were our life support. When we stopped breathing, and our hearts stopped beating, they took over and sustained us with their own breathing and heartbeats, their life force, their energy is all that kept us alive. That is why being a priestess trained in infusion, sustaining, and healing is such a high-ranking member of that order. It is a very difficult thing to do for any length of time and they had to continue to support us until we could reach Avilion, where there would be others to help them. Of course, they also had Merdwin's truly immense abilities to help, as well, and in addition, although Thor's medical bay did not have the ability on its own to sustain us in our dragon forms, it did have the capability to help them all in their own endeavors for us. It was a catch twenty-two in a way. The only thing that allowed them to keep us "alive" was our dragon forms, for without them, we would have died before the battle was half over, and yet, our dragon forms stopped Thor's technology from being able to heal us."

"So you weren't dead? You never died?" Jacob asked his daughter. "Why didn't they tell us you were alive?" He was frowning darkly, and it was obvious that he was a very unhappy camper at the thought of the anguish they all lived through thinking the two women were dead.

Sam squeezed his hand and smiled at him very lovingly before telling him the why. Softly she told him, "Because technically, we were _not_ alive. Not, that is, as you know it. The priestesses and Thor's technology took over our body's functions for us. As soon as we were on the Biliskner, Merdwin and Thor began to work on the injuries to our bodies. While Thor's medical bay could not sustain or heal a Katteri Dragon on its own, Thor _could _use it to help Merdwin. Between them, they managed to stop the bleeding, which was one of the main problems. From then on, it was a matter of replenishing our blood supply, and then beginning the long process of, ah, rebuilding our human and Furling bodies, while the priestesses sustained us." Turning to Lantash she said, "You've been on the receiving end of their healing techniques, Lantash, so you know what I am talking about, I'm sure, although nothing needed completely rebuilt for you, as it did for us."

"Our spirits were ready to enter the All, while our bodies were being worked on. As soon as we reached Avilion, the All greeted us, and our spirits went there, to wait to see if we would survive."

"Yes, I believe I do understand what you are saying, at least to a point, Samantha," Lantash agreed, then smiled slightly, saying, "So, you are telling us that you were dead, but you were not dead. I find that…difficult…to comprehend in a purely intellectual way, and yet, I believe I also experienced that state of being, did I not?"

"Yes. When Kataya took you from Bastet's torture chamber, you would have been dead before they left her stronghold, if Kataya had not sustained you. Just as Merdwin sustained Kataya the day you went through the _Sevesh_. He kept her alive, as Kataya kept you alive, and in the same way, the priestesses kept Kat and I alive after the Battle."

Smiling softly at Gwennetha, she said, "The priestesses worked tirelessly day after day sustaining us, infusing strength into us, so that our bodies would only have to contend with healing, not their normal routine functions. Of course, along with Merdwin and Artereos, they helped in the healing processes, too, particularly where the damage was too severe for our bodies alone to repair it, and as they usually do, they made sure there was little or no scaring. They did an excellent job, and we would have been back after about three months, but something happened at the end of the Battle that put the survival of Kataya's spirit in question."

Kataya decided to take up the story at this point. Nodding to Sam, to let her know she would take over, she said, "It was at this time, that is, during the healing process, that Merdwin realized something was wrong. I began to heal much too quickly. I knew already that Morgasha sent part of her soul into me. I also knew that the All took the remainder of it, and that, when he was not helping with healing us, Merdwin was working on binding it deeply within the All. He knew as early as the first few days that something was not as it should be, but until I could visit him and impart the information as to what he needed to look for, he did not know what was wrong."

"I allowed her to help heal me before I began to fight her. The part of her that she managed to send into me was strong, but not excessively so. Only in moments when I was overly tired, could she take complete control, and I was easily able to override her when I gained some rest and strength. I allowed her to take control quite often at first, because she fought them, and that made her weary and easier for me to control. And keeping her from entering Samantha was not a problem, either. My skills were a match for hers, and more, in every way, thanks to Merdwin and his instruction over the millennia, which was something she did not know, and it worked to our advantage."

"The problem, I knew, and so did Merdwin, would be to separate her from me. As Sam said, it took around three of Earth's months for us to heal completely and gain some of our strength back. I needed to start the separation process soon, or it would be too late. We could not wait much longer, so when Daniel, Martouf, and Lantash, decided to get on with their lives, we felt they no longer needed us to watch over them. By then, we felt we were well enough and strong enough to endure what we knew we must do. Therefore, we began the process of separation and removal of Morgasha's spirit from me. It is, as our mates could tell you, a very bloody and agonizing ritual. They were often there with us, and for that we will be eternally grateful, for their support and faith in us helped us immeasurably."

"You mean Daniel and Martouf knew what was happening?" Jack asked, his voice showing his surprise and perhaps, shock. "And they didn't tell us?"

At this point Daniel took over, saying, "Well, not _exactly,_ Jack. We didn't figure any of it out until last night, and then we were just beginning to realize that something was going on." He paused, considering his words before continuing, "You see, it wasn't until last night, that Martouf and I were in the same room when I had the dream again, and we talked about it. I mean, we both knew we were having nightmares, and we'd sit up with one another, but we never actually discussed the dreams contents, what they were about."

"Last night, Martouf was right there when I had it. He came over, and I said something about not thinking I could stand to watch Merdwin kill Kataya one more time, and he reminded me that after he stabbed her, he always worked very hard to bring her back. _That_ was when we realized that we were dreaming the same dream and that it actually had to mean something. We compared notes on it and found out we were seeing the same thing. _Exactly_ the same thing."

"For what reason did Lord Merdwin kill Kataya?" Teal'c asked quietly. "I must assume this was a ritual killing of some type to expel the evilness of Morgasha from Kataya's person."

Kataya answered him, "Yes, Teal'c, it was. I had to allow Morgasha to take over and then Merdwin would hold her in place with some rather arcane spells from the Myst-time. Once he held her there, he would drop some fluid from the Mysts onto my body. As it burnt into me, it drew her spirit even closer to the surface and when he stabbed me, it would kill even more of it than just the stabbing alone would have. It was the ritual I chose to have performed, as it is much more accurate and deadly to the spirit in question, and more likely to dispense with all the evil, leaving behind no trace. Furthermore I am happy to say that it worked exactly as it should."

"I would guess, however, that it is also more dangerous to the body it was being used upon," Teal said, his voice calm and quiet, as he looked at her with respect.

"That is true, but I would rather have died than be forced to live with that evil within me," Kataya answered, just as firmly. "That knowledge and the knowledge that it was the best ritual to use in this instance is, I believe, the only thing that allowed Merdwin to continue doing it day after day," Kataya's voice sank to a whisper, as she recalled the anguish performing the rite had caused Merdwin. "He is still feeling a great deal of remorse and guilt over what happened, even though he could not have prevented it." Suddenly she smiled, saying, "And that is the reason he is being so overbearingly protective of us now, and it is the reason that we are allowing him to be so…um well, up to a point."

"You finished it last night, didn't you?" Daniel asked. "Martouf and I both dreamed that you were ill once more, then the binding holding you snapped and first you, and then you and Sam were washed in some type of fire, energy, with Merdwin. Then you both dressed in your uniform and left." Daniel frowned for a moment, and they could tell that he had something else to ask. Finally, he said, "The fire, energy, whatever it was; neither Lantash nor I have ever seen it before. It looked as if it would completely consume you, but you all came out of it looking stronger and better. What was it and why did it help so much?"

Sam looked at Kataya, who nodded her head for her to tell them. "Well, do you guys remember when Artereos told you about the star that was named Kata'Csilla Bellawynara; the Star of beauty and great strength?" As they all nodded, she blushed a fair shade of red and said, hesitantly, "Well, it seems that the All of the Universe gave birth to it and gave it to us as a, well, as a kind of reward for a job well done. It belongs to Kat and I, so the energy from it will never hurt us, or anyone we have with us, and it will always give us strength, if we call on it. It, um, was the last line of the prophecy, too. I mean the last line of the prophecy foretold the coming of that star and our rebirth. _And the blood of the Dragons shall be shed upon the soil, and from the fire we shall rise again and shine'. _The All used the flame from our blood to ignite the star. And the power from it is part of what the priestesses were able to access to sustain us and help us to heal, so, anyway, I can't really explain it, just trust me that is what the line meant."

"You don't have to explain it, Sam," Daniel said quietly. "It's very plain. Kataya started the fire from your blood, the flame ignited the gases of the star, therefore, 'and from the fire, we shall rise again and shine.' I think we all understand the most important part. You and Kataya are back with us, and the lights of our lives are shining once again," he finished, his voice soft and low, intense with the emotion he was feeling.

Jack spoke up, lightening the mood a little, when he looked innocently at Sam and said, "So, it's kinda like a cosmic Medal of Honor?"

Laughing lightly, Sam nodded as she said, "Yes, sir, I guess you could call it that."

"So what happened to you after that then? After the energy bath?" he wanted to know. "You went somewhere else before you came here, right?"

"Yes. We traveled into the All to gather strength and to finish our journey as sisters, so that we could release our blood tie to one another. We can always join again if the occasion arises that we must," Kataya took back over to answer Jack as Sam had turned her attention to something Martouf had said to her.

Having Kataya's attention once again, he asked her, "So, you're sayin' that Merdwin would stab you? And you would die?" Jack seemed to be fascinated by that particular portion of the ritual she had undergone and couldn't seem to keep himself from going back to it and dwelling on it."

Kataya answered, "Yes. That is what we are saying, although I did not necessarily completely die each and every time. Of course, after he performed the ritual, a portion of her spirit would die and to expel it, I would be extremely unwell. Do you wish for more detail?"

Realizing what he was doing, Jack shook his head and said, "Ah, no, I think I get the picture now. Sorry." He sent her an abashed little grin that asked forgiveness, and then asked, "So, Carter was there with you then? She couldn't leave either because of this spirit thing?"

"Not could not, Colonel, would not. Sam refused to leave me and she was, in fact, the rock I depended on most. I would not have survived without her," Kataya said, in a voice full of conviction.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised that Merdwin looked so tired, then," Jacob said. "I'll bet it was a really hard thing for him to do. You and Sam though, you're okay now, too, right? I mean, you both look, er, that is to say, you seem, um, tired, so I'm just, well you really are okay, right?" He questioned, as if wanting to hear again that everything was indeed, as it should be.

"Yes, Jacob, we are truly fine," Kataya answered him. Then smiling wryly, she added, "We realize we do not look as if we are well, but believe me it is simply from the, um, situation we were in. We will both need a great deal of rest, meditation, and good food, but I believe we will find all three of those things here in abundance."

"And, we will find the one thing we have missed and wished for the most, during the past six months." Looking at Daniel seated next to her, and Martouf, Lantash, and Sam, who were seated very close to them, she continued, "Our mates are here and being reunited with them will prove to be better than anything else for us, I do assure you. Even Merdwin had to admit that we were probably correct about that. And," she smiled brightly, at everyone present, "Artereos agreed with us, so in the end Merdwin had no choice but to give in."

"Well, perhaps Merdwin had no choice," a voice said from the doorway, "but I do, and I wish to make sure for my own piece of mind that you are all right and," the voice became husky with unshed tears, "really and truly here, alive and well."

"Janet!" Sam and Kat exclaimed in unison. Jumping up, they met their friend halfway across the room, and found themselves in a group hug that included both laughter and tears.

"After Merdwin told me, I tried to be patient, but in the end I just couldn't do it. I had to see for myself, and I admit to using my rank as your doctor to get my way and be allowed to come."

Merdwin sauntered into the room and stopped next to the three women, saying, "And I will admit that I used her shamelessly in order to be able to come and check on you also. Lanwin and Taesha, along with the warriors who had already been assigned to the SGC once, are doing fine in getting the newest ones acclimated, so George saw no reason we could not come for at least a day or so. As he said, he can always recall us if we are needed for any reason."

The look on his face was so smug, that Sam groaned aloud before saying, "Merdwin, you have Janet to cosset now. You will allow Kat and I to let our own mates cosset us."

"Certainly, I will. I will just be here to be sure they are doing everything that needs to be done, that is all," he agreed, his voice all innocence.

"I think that is an excellent, idea, Merdwin," Kataya said, with a self-satisfied smile.

Merdwin frowned. "Why do I feel that I have just fallen into a trap?" He asked of no one in particular.

Kataya simply smiled and returned to her seat by Daniel, as Sam laughed and sat back down by Martouf, motioning Janet and Merdwin to take a seat within the group.

"Now that we have finished our explanations, it is time for you to tell us everything that has happened to you in the last couple of days. I understand you have a very exciting discovery that you are working on and that we may be able to help. So who wants to tell the story from the beginning?" Kataya asked.

"From the very beginning," Sam said. "Don't leave anything out. I especially want to hear about Lantash taking the part of a Goa'uld's host and his reactions. I'm thinking that perhaps that is something all Tok'Ra should be subjected to," she added. "What? Why are you all looking as if you are appalled? Don't you think it would be a salutary lesson?"

"I'm sure it would, Sam, but I think it's unnecessary," Jacob explained, before he saw the twinkle in his daughter's eyes. "Someday, that dry wit of yours is gonna get you into trouble, Sam."

"I know, Dad, but it's just so much fun to watch you jump for the bait," she answered.

"Yeah, well, if you had to listen to Selmak, you wouldn't think so," Jacob scowled. "He's worse than a wife. Hey! Quit thumping me in the back of the head," he continued as his head dropped forward. "That's not funny, Sel." And perhaps it wasn't to Jacob, but the rest of the company found it to be extremely amusing.

"Okay, enough teasing, someone needs to tell us the story," Sam said, as she leaned over and gave her dad a swift kiss and a sweet smile. He rewarded her, as she had known he would, with a smile that said I love you, too. This was what it was really all about; it was about having all of their friends and family, here, and together.

After a few minutes of passing the buck, Jack finally spoke up and said, "Well, Daniel can probably tell the majority of it, cause Teal'c, Stevenson, and I were held captive somewhere and didn't see what happened. Your Valynara was almost as unhappy with Teal'c as she was with Lantash. If he hadn't been with Stevenson and I, who are obviously not Goa'uld, but are warriors, I think she'd have turned him into a spot on the floor. The way it was, she left us in some room we couldn't get out of, until she found out for sure who and what Martouf and Lantash were, and affirmed that we were friends of Artereos's. It wasn't the most pleasant thing we've ever had happen to us, but at least we didn't end up being tortured. Which I am guessing, is kind of what happened to Lantash."

"I believe you would be safe with that guess, Colonel," Lantash came forward to say. "I definitely think we could pass it off as such and I know that I have no desire at all to ever go through that again. However, since I was somewhat incapacitated quite a bit of the time, I too, believe that Daniel should tell the story and Martouf can fill in where it is needed."

So Daniel told the story of Martouf, Lantash and Valynara again, and then proceeded to tell them how he and Lantash had been sitting and talking, as Lantash recovered somewhat. As they sat there leaning against the wall, he had looked over to see a slight crack at the base of the fountain. One that somehow just didn't look right to him. He told them how he had gone over and looked at it and pulled the stones loose. Then he let Lantash and Martouf tell them what the message under the stones said. Between the three of them, they managed to inform the women and, Janet, who had known none of what was truly going on here, of the latest happenings and findings.

An hour or so, and a lot of information later, Janet suggested a quick once over from her, and then an early night for Sam and Kataya. Looking at Gwennetha, she advised her to have an early night, as well. She wasn't as run down as the other two women, as she had been only one of several priestesses, but she had spent a great deal of time caring for her mother. She, too, could use some extra rest, Janet told her. No one was surprised when the women did not object. It was obvious that they were very tired. It was just as obvious that Martouf, Daniel, and Malek would be glad when Janet was finished with her exams so that they, too, could catch up on their, um, sleep.

As the three men fidgeted, Jacob and Jack grinned. Maybe the long dark months were about to come to an end and from now on the smiles would actually make it from their lips to their eyes. Life, they decided, was good.

TBC


	7. A Night to Remember or Not 7 DOTQ

**_Chapter Seven summary: _**_Janet finishes her exam and while she would like to take them to the SGC and make sure they rested and ate regularly, she realizes that isn't going to happen. They aren't about to give up their mates and the night ahead of them. Since Janet feels that making love to their mates will help them as much as anything, she says nothing. Their night is long and exciting...in more ways than one. Sam has a Furling trait make an unannounced appearance and the consequences will be far-reaching. _

**_Pher'ak'tel_**_ - The Essence given off by the female during the Furling Mating Ritual. Only used for Conception._

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ - Furling Mating Cycle_

**_Matak'lun'ek_**_ – A Potion used to Control the Heat Cycle in young Furling Females until they learn to control them for themselves._

**_Amat Wyn_****_ - _**_My Love_

**_Coeurawyn _**_- My Heart_

**_Igisadonis Animawyn_**_ - Beloved of My Soul: A Term of Endearment, also the Formal Statement of the Soulmate _

**_Aima Coeurawyn_**_ - Blood of My Heart: A Term of Endearment, also the Formal Statement of the Soulmate. While the word Coeurawyn can be used separately, only the Soulmate should be called 'Aima Coeurawyn.'_

**_Igisadonis _**_– Beloved._

**_Igisadonis Wyn - _**_My Beloved_

**_Sectares_**_ – Miles_

**_Warning –_**_**M Rating**. If you do not wish to read it simply skip to the next section.  
_

**_"Italics"_**_ – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

___**This chapter has been cut to allow for posting under this rating; however, it has not been cut as much as it was previously therefor it is definitely an M rating, so please be aware of that. For the full version go to my website which is listed in my bio information.**_

Feedback is welcomed and appreciated as it keeps the muse happy and productive.

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Seven_**

**_A Night to Remember - Or Not_**

* * *

Janet finished with the last of the tests that she could run from here. She would much rather have had them back at the SGC, to be able to do a full workup on them, just to be sure, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. Merdwin assured her that they were all completely well, just tired, and run-down. Well, she would agree with that. Thin and obviously exhausted, they needed rest and good food.

She opened her mouth to tell them her directions, met first Sam's, and then Kataya's, eyes, and shut it again. She could talk until she was blue in the face. There was nothing on this world, or any other for that matter, that was going to keep them out of their mates' arms tonight, or in the foreseeable future. She would be wasting her breath, and the looks on their faces said that they knew what she wanted to say. Nothing short of a full-scale Goa'uld attack would keep them from their mates' beds, and talking to the men would simply upset these women.

Something told her that they had all received the short version of the ordeal through which the two of them had passed. She and Merdwin had arrived as they began to explain what happened and had remained in the background until they finished their stories. From what little Merdwin had said, along with what she had heard, she knew they weren't telling them everything.

Therefore, she would rather have them spend time awake, making love to their mates, than being stressed because the men were too worried about them to touch them. The feel of the love of their mates would probably be a tonic, anyway; at least, she could soothe her conscience by telling herself that, and knowing that, in one way, it was true. They did need to feel that love, so she would not try to get them to do more than get extra rest. During the day, if need be.

She would really like to take them back to the infirmary, put them to bed, and have them sleep for a few weeks. Well, that wasn't going to happen, either, so she wouldn't expend her energy on advising something that was a pipe dream. Instead, she said quietly, "Both of you are very run down physically, you know that. I'm sure your own bodies are telling you that. Listen to it, please, and if it tells you that it wants a nap, give it one. If it is hungry, feed it, okay? You know that I'd like to take you back with me, and make you sleep and eat, but I think that what you have here will be better medicine than anything that I could give you, so I won't say anymore."

As they started to smile at her, she held up a hand and shaking her head, said, "Except for one thing," she smiled then, and said, "I'm so glad to have you guys back with us. It's been so awful since you've been gone. God, I've missed you both, so much."

"We're glad to be back, Janet. We've missed you, too. Every day. We thought about all of you, all the time; it's part of what kept us fighting and allowed us to survive. And, we'll take care of ourselves. Really. Merdwin is just worried because of everything that happened, but he knows that we're aware that we have to regain our strength as quickly as possible. What's happening here is important. And we want to be part of it, so we'll take care of ourselves," Sam promised, as she hugged Janet and they both cried softly, letting the tears begin to wash the pain of the last six months away.

After hugging her briefly and reassuring her that she was indeed fine, Kataya stepped quietly to one side and went to talk to Merdwin, knowing that he was close by. She found him in the hall, leaning negligently against the wall. By way of a greeting, she said, "Tell me, _C__oeurawyn,_ are you going to leave the silver wings in your hair? They are very distinguished. Almost, they lend you an air of respectability."

"You wound me, Kataya. The most dangerous man in the thirteen galaxies, and you insult me by calling me _respectable_."

"We are a pair, are we not, _Amat Wyn?_ Neither of us have a respectable bone in our bodies, yet our mates could be poster children for the pure of heart."

Merdwin smiled softly as he reached out and gently pushed her hair back and caressed her cheek. "You are pure of heart, Kataya, as you have always been. You proved it today, if there was any doubt. You know as well as I, that Morgasha could not get within ten sectares of a unicorn, and yet you still ride them like the wind. As do I. Perhaps we are not respectable, but in our hearts, where it matters, we are true. Stop worrying. What happened was not your fault. If it was anyone's, it was mine. I should have guessed that she would attempt to infect you, and worked a shield for you and Samantha."

Kataya shook her head. "No. I should have known. I knew her, too, Merdwin, and I knew what she was capable of doing. I am grateful that I was able to stop her from infecting Samantha, for she had no resistance to that type of poison. I, at least, had my training in the temple, and as an enchantress."

"I know. And I, too, am very grateful." Looking down at this woman, who had been both friend and lover over the long millennia, he felt that love and tenderness he always did for her, and he saw beyond the front she was projecting. "You are tired, _Amat Wyn_. Why do you not go on to bed? Call Daniel to you by the siren's song, for once. It will hurt neither of you and he will not mind."

"That is the best idea you have had in a very long time, Merdwin. I believe I will. And I might suggest that you take Janet and get some, um, rest yourself."

As she turned and walked toward Daniel's room, she heard him laugh softly. All of them that were once again reunited with mates would have a wonderful night tonight. It would be a night to remember and cherish. She smiled to herself; she had not used the siren's song for millennia. But, perhaps Merdwin was correct, and tonight was a justifiable use of it. After all, it was not as if she was calling some unsuspecting young man to his doom. She would only be calling Daniel to a delightful evening, and she would release him at once.

* * *

"Daniel? Hey, what's with you? The look on your face is, well, weird," Jack said, as he looked at the bemused look on his friend's face.

Daniel looked at Jack, and it was as if his entire concentration turned inward. Slowly coming out of his almost trance-like state, he smiled at his friends and said, "I, um, I have to go. Kataya is calling me."

"Daniel? You mean she's talking to you through the link?" Jack asked, frowning. The way Daniel had phrased his answer seemed unusual.

"No, no, she's not _talking_ to me at all. She is calling me, using the siren's song. It's an ancient enchantment, and it's been banned for years in general usage, but between mated souls, it's still occasionally used. I think that is what I'm remembering, anyway. It's the feelings that I'm getting from her, and since she is using that method to let me know that she is finished with her check-up, I think I'll go and join her. I'll say goodnight."

Jacob laughed at the look that repeatedly tried to steal over Daniel's features. It was obvious he was having trouble concentrating on talking to them. "Go ahead, Daniel. God knows you guys deserve this night with your mates. Have a wonderful evening, but try to remember that they've been through a lot, too."

"Yes, of course," Daniel murmured, as he headed for the stairs. He didn't notice the chuckles coming from behind him. He was caught up in a song and need as old as time. And he was answering it. Without even thinking about it, he found himself sending back the answer.

* * *

_On the wings of time, love, I will come to thee,_

_On the winds of life, love, soon there you will be._

_Through the mists, love, I will come to see,_

_Through joining, love, You will come to me. _

_To bind my heart using silken bands,_

_To bind my body using cords of love._

_My Heart I place, within your hands,_

_My soul, my passion, within, above._

_Become my soul, my blood, my life, unto the day we die,_

_I will lie with you forever, within the starry sky._

_I will come with thee,_

_I will stay with thee,_

_I will join with thee,_

_For now, forever,_

_Into eternity _

* * *

Opening the door to their room, his breath almost stopped. As she had been from the first time he had ever seen her as a woman, she was beautiful to him. She stood with her back to the open balcony door, the moonlight slanting through and turning her gown to transparent nothingness. She had stopped the song as soon as he answered her. As she stood with a slight smile curving her lips, he leaned back against the door and crossed his arms over his chest, an answering smile on his.

She was the siren and he was her captive, no longer, now that it had ended. She had called him, but released him, so that from this moment on, only his own free will would guide him. It was an enticement, nothing more. One that he was more than happy to have ensnaring him.

He watched her through lowered lids as she leaned negligently against the doorframe. Her hair had grown out while she was gone. Its growth had obviously been accelerated during the long months they had been apart, for it waved softly down her back. She would cut it soon, for as a warrior, long hair would be very much in her way, but for this short time, she would leave it. The curtain of gold and silver would be a plaything to her for now. She would use it to delight and torment him, he knew. And, he would enjoy each and every minute of it. The sooner they began, the sooner he would feel this woman's delicious, sensuous body against his once again. A feeling that he would revel in, for he had awakened aching for her often, over the past long, cold, months.

"Come to me," he ordered firmly, not at all surprised when she cast him an amused look before smiling slightly, and turning to walk out onto the balcony, away from him.

"Make me," her actions said, quite clearly.

"Now, Kataya," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, "For if I do not have you soon, I shall perish in my need." He would follow the script that the song had woven, but only for so long. "Come to me, _Aima Coeurawyn,_ and make me whole," he pleaded and yet commanded, in one breath, and it was an arrow to her soul.

In the face of his need, she could not deny him; she had no wish to deny him or herself. Turning, she entered the room, walked to him, and asked of him, "What is it that you wish, _Igisadonis Animawyn_? How may I serve thee and make thee whole?"

"You will join your body with mine and we will become one, as your song promised me, and as I sent my answer winging back to you."

"I will," she agreed.

"I await your touch," he answered. "You promised me silken cords of love to bind me, heart, body, and soul."

"You shall have it," she responded, as she reached out and slowly began to unbutton his shirt. She smiled softly, and he could tell that she was remembering something.

"What are you thinking, _C__oeurawyn__?_" He asked softly.

"I was remembering our first loving after you remembered who I was the last time, what we were to each other. I was thinking how different this loving will be, and yet how much the same. It is a good memory, my heart. It will remain with me always, and I believe it will always make me smile. As your reaction the next day to the marks you left upon my body will also make me smile."

Daniel moaned softly, remembering that night. He had been almost savage in his need, and she had met that need with a fire of her own. It had consumed them then, just as it would this night. Feeling the last of the buttons give way, he felt her caress as she slowly pushed his shirt aside and allowed it to fall to the floor. Her fingers made their way into the waistband of his pants and traced their way to the fastening. Once it was undone, she slowly unzipped them, and then abandoned them to bring her hands once more to his chest. Leaning forward to feather kisses across the sculpted muscles, she left a trail of fire upon his skin. Moaning again softly, he reached for her and pulled her body into his, so that he might feel her pressed along the length of him.

The scent of roses and musk surrounded him. It was almost time; time to bind her to him once again, in the manner of a man and a woman. Time to make of her the woman, his mate, for she belonged to him now, as well as forever.

"Take that which you want, need, _I__gisadonis_, for I am the mate, the other half. Our joining will indeed make us whole. One whole from two halves, as it has always been and will always be."

"I want to see you, Kataya. I need to see your body free, naked before me. I want to see you, in all your many forms, for you are many women, and I want to see, touch, hear, and taste them all. I wish to know you in all your many guises, from the Amazon to the frail maiden. From the Angel to the Devil. Show me each and every side of you, my love, and bring forth from me all that I am to you."

His voice husky with desire, he continued, "Bring us together in that place where we become naked and open with one another, unable and unwilling to hide strengths or weaknesses, perfection or flaws. Take me to the center of your being, and join me there for a taste of death, as only lovers can know it. Guide me; be guided by me. Take me; be taken by me, Love me; be loved by me. _Anima __C__oeurawyn_; my heart, my life, my soul."

Daniel watched, as the smile that all women of all times have been born knowing how to give, touched her lips and spoke of mysteries untold. It enticed, entranced, and called. It whispered of silken sheets, and scented skin, breezes that caressed, and moonlight that kissed the eyes. It was the ending of the siren song, and men had followed its call for millennia. Gladly, rapturously, bewitched, and enthralled.

With the smile still touching her lips, she reached for his hands and brought them to the neckline of her gown. "It is an old gown, beloved, brought for this purpose and none other. Make me as you wish me to be for you. Become that which you wish to be for me. We own the night and all its wonders. Begin them now, _C__oeurawyn__._ Bring us to the darkness and the light that lies within us. Come, Beloved. Come," she whispered, her voice sultry and dark, bringing to mind images of the two of them wrapped together in one another's arms.

Daniel's hands gripped the edges of her gown convulsively, as she watched him in the moonlight, that slight enticing smile never faltering. Releasing the gown, he moved his hands to the bows on her shoulders. He could rip it to shreds in seconds, so flimsy was it, but the bows on her shoulders would serve the same purpose without the destruction. He would start as he meant to go on. The bows opened and the gown pooled at her before him, she waited only a moment, to read his need, before stepping forward to kneel in front of him.

As she knelt before him, her face in shadow, she reached out and feathered her fingertips across the skin just above his jeans where they rode low on his hips. Feeling him shiver, she leaned forward to press her lips just below the indentation on his flat abdomen, where the zipper hung open. Leaning down, she removed first his shoes and socks, before reaching up and tugging on the jeans that he had put on after they bathed earlier.

As they fell to the floor, he stepped forward of his own volition and kicked them aside. Now as naked as she, he watched her to see what her next move would be…if any.

Would she continue, or would she entice him into a need so great he would become frustrated and reach for her to bring them together. He couldn't read her face in the shadows, but she could see his as the moonlight caught the planes of his face, reminding her of a sculpture, a carving of great beauty; he looked as if he could have posed for the bust of Apollo.

She ran her hands up his legs, from calf to thigh, feeling the muscles bunch as she touched them lightly, until her hands came to rest behind him. "Come to me, _Amat Wyn_. Hearing the moan that escaped his throat, she feathered kisses across his abdomen, her lips hot, moist, and licking flames along each corded muscle until he thought his legs would buckle.

Locking his knees to keep that from happening, he reached forward and buried his hands in the long gold and silver tresses that flowed down her back. He was on fire as only she could cause him to be. If she did not stop soon, he would lose what little control he had.

Moaning again, he pulled her heated mouth from him, gasping, "Kataya, dear god, no more. I have no control left. Please. I need you. I need you, my love," he groaned as he drew her to her feet and leaned forward to kiss her. He could taste himself as his tongue probed her mouth, and the pure erotic images that brought had his mind spinning out of control. She broke the kiss, the images coalesced into her, and the heat of her body pressed to his.

He heard the sultry whispers of silk moving through his mind and leading him forward, "Then come to me, _Amat Wyn_, and you shall show to me your passion," the rich, dusky, tone of her voice washed over him as he followed her to the bed. Climbing the steps and lying down, she gently urged him forward to follow her down.

Suddenly that old feeling stole over him as he looked down into the mysterious eyes watching him, enticing him, and he realized, daring him. Daring him to love her in every way of which he could think. Daring him to match her animal lusts, as well as her gentle loving. Daring him to take her and himself as far and as deeply into the mystery of their mating and their love as he could, to take her any and every way he could, until they were both so sated that they could no longer move. As she would him.

Oh, yes, as she would him. He knew the exact moment that she knew he had read her challenge and answered it, for she smiled that smile, but this time there was a tinge of the predator in it. Her hands reached out and her fingers kneaded his chest gently, but he could feel the slight prick of claws. His eyes widened and she laughed, enjoying teasing him before withdrawing them from his skin.

He placed his hand on her throat and watched it as he drew it slowly down her beautiful body, stopping at her breast. He loved her with his lips and tongue, his breath moist and hot on her, before moving on. His fingers feathered around her waist and across her stomach, moving ever so slowly toward the apex of her thighs.

He watched her face as his fingers were fluttering over her thighs, teasing her, touching her lightly and then retreating, only to once again explore upwards toward the center waiting for him.

As his fingers worked their magic on her, he kissed her deeply, still tasting himself on her tongue. He wanted to taste her, all of her, to know her in every way that he could. How many times, he wondered, had they played this scene, and yet never did they tire of one another. Each time that they were together only made them more eager for the next time and the time after that.

Bending over her, he breathed in her scent. He had to taste her, to see if she tasted as sweet as her scent said she would. He knew she would, of course; this was not the first time that he had given his tongue the exquisite pleasure of her taste. Her scent, the silken feel of her, the heaviness of her breasts in his hands, all of it coalesced into a burning need for him to pleasure her. Gods, the sound of her moaning drove his own desire ever higher. She didn't stop him from taking her, but enjoyed it, enjoyed the raptness of his expression as he watched her find her release.

She smiled at him, quiet, but not yet sated. She waited, knowing that it would not be long before he began to need her to take him to the place that she had just visited. She watched him as she raked him lightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to cause him to shudder at the way she touched him. He sighed to her, "Now, _Coeurawyn,_ love me now." He wanted more than this, but he would allow it for now. After all, it felt wonderful, but more than that, it was what it was a prelude to that interested him. He groaned as he heard her smoky laugh, and it shivered down his spine, tingling, arousing him even more, as he moved slightly away, breathing raggedly. Coming up beside him where he sat, she reached for him only to have him stop her hands before they could touch his satiny hardness.

"No more, Kataya, or I will have no control at all. I can't take anymore without losing it," Daniel said, harshness from his suppressed desires in his voice. As she moved to lie down, she pulled him to lie beside her.

"Then I will not go there and so unman you, _Coeurawyn_, although it would only be unmanning in your eyes," she replied softly. Starting with his lips, she loved them, nibbled, nipped, and sucked them gently, learning them thoroughly. Tasting the taste that was Daniel as she lingered there and licked them softly, she enjoyed the taste that was _them_, before moving on to the chiseled planes of his cheeks, the hollows of his eyes, the hard line of his jaw, to the next stop on her exploration of his sculpted body.

She loved her way down his neck, lingering at the hollow of his throat and nuzzling the enticing spot just below his ear, stopping to nip his earlobe and suck gently for a moment. She nipped the corded muscles on his neck, as they stood out in sudden tension, when her tongue laved first his ear and then repeated the walk down his throat, breathing fire on his skin. She left a bruise there that drew a deep moan of need from him again.

From there, she allowed her lips and tongue to travel to his shoulders and thence across his chest and suckled there until his moans intensified, were joined by gasps of pleasure and his manhood jerked in response. After laving and loving there for several minutes, she breathed her way down his abdomen, her breath hot upon his skin, leaving it burning where she touched him. Reaching the tops of his thighs, she nuzzled and kissed them, savoring the texture there. With every flick of her tongue and nip of her teeth on the tops of his thighs, his hips jerked in response, now searching for relief from the sensuous torment. The silken curtain of her hair trailed over his now sensitive skin, leaving jangled, tingling, nerve endings screaming with desire.

After she kissed his body and caressed him until he was trembling, now needing, wanting, her to take him into her body, to give him the relief he was aching so badly for, she lay back against the pillows and smiled before urging him to come to her as she opened herself to his body.

As he brought his body over hers, she finally reached for him. And she wrapped her fingers around him as she watched his face, then said, "Steel sheathed in velvet. I love the feel of you in my hands, _Amat Wyn_, and the feel of your velvet softness against my skin, silken, yet covering unbelievable hardness. I wish to feel you within me now, _Coeurawyn._ Come to me, my heart and love me now," was the last true whisper that the room heard for quite some time. He began the rhythmic rocking that would bring them both to completion. Their moans of pleasure blended together, until they could no longer tell where one of them ended and the other began. He joined with her gladly and they rode the waves into the abyss of the little death.

* * *

Martouf paced the room, picking up first one object and examining it and then another. _"Martouf, why do you not simply sit down and relax? There is nothing to be worried about,_" Lantash attempted to assure him quietly. "_Samantha is well; she is just very tired."_

_"I know, and that is what is bothering me. I do not believe we should make love to her, Lantash. I am glad we did not really have time earlier, for though she indicated she would welcome our advances, I believe she is too fragile and exhausted for us to keep her awake simply to satisfy our lusts,"_ Martouf said bluntly.

"_While I __might __agree with you in principle, I do not believe Samantha would understand. In fact, I believe you would wound her deeply if you were to tell her that you did not wish to make love to her," _Lantash attempted to explain to him why they could not act in the manner he suggested.

_"I will explain that I feel it would be best for her health if we abstained until she is better. Surely, between the two of us, we can make her understand that the ordeal she has been through has weakened her and she needs to rest,"_ Martouf asserted firmly.

_"Well, I am sure you can tell her that, but it is still my opinion that you will upset her greatly. I do not believe we should do that, instead, I believe we should make love to her, gently, at least once. If we do not, I firmly believe that she will take some erroneous idea into her head about us no longer wanting or loving her, and then we will have a very upset Samantha on our hands. Perhaps one that will not forgive us easily,"_ Lantash replied, equally firm.

_"Why would she do that? If we explained to her that we do not want to put undue stress or physical demands on her, would she not understand?" _Martouf sounded unsure and almost puzzled by Lantash's answer.

_"I do not believe so,"_ Lantash's answer was solemn and yet gentle.

Suddenly, Martouf brightened somewhat as an idea came to him. He immediately presented it to Lantash,_ "Perhaps we should talk to Jacob, and see if he thinks she would be upset."_

Lantash's stunned silence was very telling. Finally, he brought himself to ask, _"Do you wish to discuss our sex life with her father?"_

_"Ah, well, when you put it like that…no, I guess that would not be a good thing to do, would it?_" Martouf asked, after thinking about confronting Jacob with this subject. Thank the universe that Lantash was thinking, because he obviously was not.

Still somewhat incredulous, Lantash told him, _"If you feel you must talk to someone, I would suggest Daniel; however, he has already retired to be with Kataya. Moreover, from the look on his face and his words, I do not believe abstinence was on his mind. Martouf, Kataya is in less robust health than Samantha is, so you can draw your own conclusions," he pointed out softly._

_"True. Shall we go upstairs then, and just see where the evening leads? We can always plead fatigue ourselves because of your ordeal,"_ Martouf responded, a little more cheerful at the thought that they could indeed be with their mate, but had a legitimate excuse not to put too many demands on her.

_"I suggest you say goodnight to the other occupants of the room, who are watching you in some amusement. They have been addressing remarks to you for the last fifteen minutes or longer, and you have not answered one of them," _Lantash informed him, his own amusement obvious to his mate.

_"Why did you not tell me?" _ Martouf demanded, feeling somewhat abashed that he had not even noticed that the others were attempting to talk to him.

Lantash smiled smugly. _"Why? I saw no reason too, as their questions were simply to try to get your attention. They were not really anything important, whereas our conversation was extremely important." _

_"All right. Thank you,"_ Martouf said, still slightly testy with him.

Looking toward Jacob, he said aloud, "I am sorry, Jacob, did you want anything important? Lantash and I were having a rather serious discussion."

"No, nothing important. I suggest you and Lantash go to bed. He isn't completely recovered from his experience, and you could use some extra rest. As in sleep. In fact, I'm not sure you and Sam shouldn't each take a room of your own, so that you won't bother each other during the night." Jacob said, keeping his face straight, with difficulty.

Martouf blinked at him with a slightly stunned look on his face, before regrouping to say, "I do not believe that will be necessary, Jacob, but I will bring the idea up to Samantha and see how she feels about it. I will be sure to tell her it was your idea, and I will let her know you thought that perhaps she and Jocasta could share a room," he finished with a subtle threat.

Turning to Jack, Jacob said, "He learns too fast." Looking back at Martouf, he replied, "That was a low blow. Don't you dare; she'd probably come looking for my blood, and Jocasta would agree to it, just to get back at me for suggesting it in the first place. Forget I even mentioned it."

Smiling brightly at the others in the room, Martouf headed for the stairway, saying, "Very well, Jacob. Goodnight to all of you. We will see you at breakfast."

Bounding up the stairs, he realized he could hardly wait to enter their room. He hoped Janet had finished with his Samantha, or would finish soon. Now that he had decided that it would be all right to make love to his wife, he wanted to, and the sooner the better.

He heard Lantash chortling in his head, and felt him send a warm embrace to him, along with the equivalent of a kiss. For the first time, Martouf realized that he and Lantash were not only friends; they were lovers in a very real and intimate way. The realization made him stumble for a moment, remembering other times his symbiote had helped him by sending the sensations of being held and loved. How had he overlooked this for so very long? He stood still as the reality made itself at home within him. He had always known, but never acknowledged it, he realized. He returned Lantash's embrace and caress. _"Does it disturb you?"_ Lantash asked him.

_"No, it does not. I do not know why I never realized we were so close in that way. Perhaps,__it was just such a natural thing that it never occurred to me that was what it was," _Martouf's answer was swift and firm.

_"I understand. Being genderless, it is easier, perhaps, for us to feel these things without guilt," _Lantash pointed out.

_"I feel no guilt, Lantash. I am just very glad to have your love and comfort when I need it," he assured him._

_"Thank you, dear one. However, for now, we both have a mate, who is, I hope, waiting for us to come to her," _Lantash reminded him of their original intention and destination.

Fervently agreeing, Martouf took a deep breath and opened the door to their room. Samantha was lying on the bed, her beautiful body naked in the moonlight. The look on her face was enough to cause them to catch their breaths. The look in her eyes was almost predatory. As she looked at them, the tip of her tongue flicked out and wet her lips, leaving them glistening. Rolling over onto her side, but leaning forward, she smiled, a seductive curve of the lips, and flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder. How quickly it had grown, he thought, irrelevantly.

As he watched her, she almost seemed to pout, "I was beginning to think you had forgotten or abandoned me, _Amat Wyn._ Will you make it up to me?"

Martouf sent her a brilliant smile, saying, "I am willing to do anything to make it up to you, my Samantha. I am sorry, I did not realize that you were waiting for me or I would have come sooner."

Sam laughed and said softly, "I haven't been waiting long, and I wanted to be waiting for you." Seeing the longing in his eyes, she continued softly, "Why don't you come over here and let me help you get out of all those extra - and unnecessary - clothes? You're making me feel underdressed for the occasion. I thought that I was wearing the most appropriate thing for the event that we're attending."

Martouf made his way swiftly to the bed, sat down next to her, and reached out to caress her cheek. Turning her head, she kissed his fingers before sitting up and reaching for the buttons on his shirt. He was very overdressed for what she had in mind. She wanted this to be a night they would remember forever. Sam felt an unusual humming in her blood, an excitement unlike anything she had ever felt before. There was definitely a throbbing, a singing in her veins. Anticipation was a large part of what she was feeling. She wanted this man. Wanted him in every way. He was her mate and she was his. Oh, yes, she wanted him.

Almost purring, Sam removed Martouf's shirt and urged him to stand so that she could remove his pants. Making short work of that, she pulled him back into the bed with her, running her hands over them almost feverishly. Soon, she pushed him onto his back and leaned over to take his lips in a long deep kiss. His breathing was already ragged and he was having trouble focusing; he wanted her so badly.

As he listened to her mewling, a faint memory stirred in their mind, but he could not be bothered to follow it. He was on fire for her. He wanted her with a passion unlike any he had ever experienced, even with her. He could stand no more of what her mouth was doing to him. "Sam-Samantha, love, I cannot control myself for much longer. You must stop," he managed to gasp. Looking up at him, her eyes looked enormous in the moonlight, her pupils dilated.

Again, the memory tried to find its way into their shared consciousness, only to once again drown in their joint need. Lantash took over to help control that need, and sitting up, he clasped her face in his hands, as he looked deeply into her eyes. There was love and need, desire and tenderness. All of those things were in her eyes and she smiled softly at him.

"I love you, Lantash, so very much. You are the Beloved of My Soul and I will always hold you deeply within my being. Both of you are the very Blood that rushes through my veins and allows my heart to beat. Please remember that. Promise me that you will continue to have that unwavering faith in my love for the two of you."

"Samantha, there has been no day gone by that I have not felt the pain of the loss of you and your love. Yet, always in my heart of hearts, I have known of the love you held for us. I will never doubt that love, not today, tomorrow, or ever."

"Then come to me, Beloved, and make me whole, for only by joining with you once again will I truly feel that I am home in your heart where I belong."

_"You were right, Lantash, she would never have understood. She needs this physical bond as much as we do, does she not?" _Martouf realized that Lantash was very correct in his earlier suppositions.

_"Yes, Martouf, she does and we will not disappoint her. We also need this to make us whole again, to once again know that she has truly returned to us," _Lantash agreed.

_"Then wait no longer, dear one, for I believe she is waiting for us to come to her now," _it was Martouf's turn to point something out to Lantash for once.

Feeling Martouf's embrace from within and Samantha's from without, he allowed himself to be pulled to her. Lantash felt her hands leaving trails of liquid fire as she caressed him. He moaned. She pleasured him until he was sure that he could stand no more, before she lay back and allowed him to pleasure her with his hands. She brought her hand up to the back of his neck, pleasuring Lantash and Martouf in yet another erotic way. She was taking them a step closer to losing what little control they had.

With his lips, teeth, and hands, he brought both sighs and moans of pleasure from her. He watched the emotions play across her face as she neared the edge.

He watched the tension build in her. The look on her face as her body flung itself into the spiral of her climax enthralled him. Dear Universe, she had been a beautiful sight in her abandoned wantonness, her unrestrained sensuality lusting after the pleasure he brought to her, bold and uninhibited.

A slight smile on her lips Sam opened eyes that gleamed with an almost animal huger. She reached for him, a fire smoldering in those eyes as she brought him to her. Words were unnecessary. They both wanted the same thing.

Her fingers never stopped their desire-inducing caresses on his neck and back. As she had before, she knew the exact places and rhythms to touch him to bring him to lose all control and act with abandon. He moaned for her to stop torturing him, and in the same breath, pleaded with her to never stop, to torment him forever.

She brought his lips to hers and took them in her hunger, the way her body was claiming and devouring his in its hunger. He gasped as her muscles clamped down on him to hold him, deep inside her. Finally, after all of these long lonely months they were once more joined. Once more together as only lovers can be.

He stared into her mysteriously burning eyes, eyes that gazed back at him with such intense yearning and longing that he shook with the desperate need to appease it. He was losing himself in her eyes, her scent, her body…her lust for him. He was hers for whatever she wished of him; he would do whatever she asked of him. His desire to pleasure her swept through him in an overwhelming tide. If she pleasured him in return, he would accept it gladly, but only after she was replete.

He was here to serve her, to pleasure her, to become nothing more than an extension of her body and its needs. He was an instrument for her use and gratification. It did not matter. Nothing mattered but bringing completion to this woman; pleasuring her until she was completely and utterly sated, no matter how long that might take or what he had to do to achieve it.

He felt her claws come out and again prick his buttocks, this time urging him to move for her. He eagerly followed their command, holding back to be sure she was satisfied. Suddenly, there were no more thoughts, there were only intense sensations and emotions and she was with him every step of the way. As they fell over the edge into the little death, he heard her cry out their names.

Finally, his breathing slowed and he lifted himself up onto his elbows so as not to be too heavy as he lay on her. She looked up at him with eyes that were heavy-lidded with passion. Oddly, a fire remained burning there. She was still on fire for him. As he watched it flare and then flame for them, he felt the tips of her nails raking lightly down his back and over his buttocks to the tops of his thighs, leaving marks, but not yet breaking the skin. The feel of them made him shiver and moan her name. He wanted her again. His desire raged through him, slamming into him with unprecedented urgency.

Her scent was heady, a mixture of musk and something else that he could not recognize. Whatever it was, it was tying him to her side. He had no wish to leave; all he could think of was this woman, the silken feeling of her skin, the heat of her, the scent of her. He buried his face in her shoulder and found himself kissing her neck, nuzzling her, nipping lightly before beginning to leave love bites, first small then slightly larger. She turned her head and laughed a seductive sound, enticing and encouraging.

Dear universe, the sound, the scent, everything about her was taunting and tormenting him. He needed to relieve this ache that being outside her body was causing.

He became aware of her fingers rubbing the exact spot on Lantash that could bring him such exquisite sexual tension and torture; so near to release and yet so far away. She was arousing him to the point of madness and in the back of his mind, he was aware of that, but could not deny her. Nor did he appear to be able to take control and end the torture, and desire, which was beginning to seem almost endless. If she did not stop soon, he would be imploring her for release. Moreover, he did not care.

She was purring at him, using all her wiles to bring him to the edge, before changing and causing him to miss the final step that would allow him to sate his desire. It was maddening, it was erotic, and it was fascinating. He wanted her. He wanted her desperately, wildly. Soon he would be pleading to please her in any way he could, do whatever she asked him to do to relieve his ache and her need.

She continued to tease and entice. He needed her again. He had never ached for a woman this badly before. When he could stand no more, he tried to grasp her, but she rolled away from him. Groaning as she rolled away from him, he said, his voice hoarse and desperate, "Please, my love. I cannot bear more of this. _Igisadonis_ _Wyn_, I ache for you. Samantha, I must have you, I must."

"Yes, and so you shall, my heart."

"I need you to tame this storm that you have raised in me, and dampen the flames of desire that burn me. Our voracious hunger for you is devouring us, Samantha, _Amat Wyn,_" Martouf spoke to her as Lantash allowed him to take over yet again, their switching seamless, as always. Her scent was driving all thought from him, leaving only one and that was to join with this woman, to make her as wild and frenzied as he was feeling, and then bring her to satiation.

"Come, Martouf, join with me, my mate. Do as you wish to do, mate with me in the way of my people."

Her hands, her scent, her smile, everything about her called to him in a savagely pagan way. An alarm bell rang in the back of his mind, but too softly for Lantash to hear it over the clamoring of the blood rushing through their veins. He came to her and soon they made the leap into the abyss once more. Sated, Sam curled up on his chest and he could feel her purring as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lantash slowly awoke and tried to focus. What had occurred? He felt as if he had been drugged. Martouf was still asleep, but he realized that it was an unnatural sleep. Think, he needed to think. If only his head did not feel as if it was full of some soft substance that he could not work through.

He dozed for a short time before coming awake once again. This time, he began to remember. He had disjointed images of waking repeatedly after their first savage lovemaking, to Samantha's kisses hot on his body, He moaned quietly to himself. His memories were still hazy at best. What had they done? However, even more importantly…_why_?

Sam was lying on his chest again, as she had after each session of lovemaking. She was purring again, completely content and sated for the moment. Lantash took a deep breath, to try to help clear his mind, and as the scent once again washed over and through him, he remembered exactly where he had smelled it before.

Dear Universe. He had smelled it only once, when he and Kataya had decided to have kits. As his thoughts chased one another through his mind, he knew he had to get to Kataya and find out exactly what that scent meant. He was certain he knew, though, and it scared him half to death.

Moving slowly and fighting the urge to simply give in, lie down beside her, and take her into his arms to love her again, he worked his way out from under her. As he left her lying in the center of the bed, he reached down and drew the sheet over her. Struggling, he managed to sit up on the edge of the bed.

His head swam alarmingly, so he breathed slowly until his world steadied. He, too, was drugged, of course. Stars of Fire, there was nothing that he knew of in the entire universe that worked on the male senses as strongly as the Pher'ak'tel of the Furling, Lun'ak'mat. Not even Hathor could call a man as the scent, of the mating cycle, the heat cycle, of the female Furling did.

He seemed to remember Kataya saying that she controlled hers, though. So what did that mean? Did Samantha do this deliberately? Moreover, he did not remember Kataya continuing to make love repeatedly. Nor had he been this drugged. Drugged yes, but nothing like this. Other than the scent, and a few minor things, little matched the mating with Kataya when she was in heat. Something was wrong. He had to get to Kataya.

Finally getting to his feet and making his way to the wardrobe, he fumbled around until he found a dressing gown, a necessity in the Tau'ri world, and evidently used here on Valdellon as they had all been given one. He doubted Daniel would appreciate him coming into their room naked, so he was glad to have it.

Taking care, he walked to the door after checking on Samantha. She was becoming restless, her hands trying to find him even in sleep, and the mewling cry he should have recognized, was again making itself heard. He had to hurry, or he would not be leaving this room. He wondered idly if a couple could kill one another with lovemaking. He certainly felt as if he had been through a brawl. Every muscle in Martouf's body was protesting.

Moreover, he realized, one particular portion of their anatomy felt as if it had been raked raw. He did not look because he did not need to. It had been raked and it had bled. That, too, he remembered from the Lun'ak'mat with Kataya. It had been painful that time, too. He had better get started on healing them as soon as possible. He hoped he could heal at least that one thing before Martouf regained consciousness.

Using the hallway wall to support and guide him, he walked the few steps from his chamber to Daniel's room. He did not bother to knock on Daniel's door. They had become so used to entering each other's rooms, to care for one another during the nightmares, that he simply opened the door and walked in. And then, immediately wished that he had not done so, as he tripped over the clothes piled on the floor and found himself falling to his knees. As they made contact with the hardness of the floor, he moaned loudly as the pain traveled up his bruised and battered body. It was just one more ache and pain to endure for the moment and heal when he could.

Dear Universe, he was about at the end of his endurance and he still had to care for Samantha. Looking toward the bed, he closed his eyes, viciously swearing at whatever god had decided to punish him at this particular point in time for his multitude of sins, then attempted to stumble blindly to his feet. When he succeeded, he turned his back on the couple in the bed, and heard Daniel's incredulous voice saying, "Lantash? Lantash, why are you in my room, _now_? If you had a nightmare, couldn't Sam take care of it this time?" Surely you haven't had a fight?" Daniel demanded, before being distracted and asking, "And what is that smell? Where is it coming from? Wow, that is something else. Very potent."

"I am fully aware of its potency, Daniel," Lantash snapped, tiredly. "You do not have to draw my attention to that fact."

"Well it smells great, wherever it's from," Daniel said, obviously quite oblivious to anything but the scent, now that it had his attention.

Lantash groaned as he stood facing the door and he could hear Kataya choking on her laughter. "Kataya, I need you, please. This is an urgent need, or I would not have bothered you, I assure you. If I knew of anything else I could do I would, but there is no one else I can come to for help in this way."

His mind obviously in a place somewhere below his waist and not deviating from those thoughts, Daniel frowned and said firmly, "I don't care how urgent your need is, Lantash, I'm not sharing Kataya with you. Why are you laughing?" He asked Kataya, as he looked down at her.

"I, um, I do not believe he meant he needed me in that way, Daniel. I believe that perhaps Samantha is, ah, unwell. Is that not it, Lantash?"

"Yes," he answered tersely. "And I do not find this situation amusing."

He heard Kataya sigh, as she said, "No, and I believe that I, too, will shortly find as little to amuse me in the situation as you do. Please, Daniel, I must get up and help Lantash."

Rolling off Kataya, she heard him mutter, "Well, that's worked better than a cold shower." Then swinging his legs out of the bed, he stood, walked to the wardrobe, grabbed his dressing gown, and took out one of Kataya's for her.

"Thank you, _Amat Wyn_. Why do you not stay here, and I will return as soon as I can." She suggested quietly, as she stood and walked to the wardrobe herself, wanting a sleeping gown as well as a dressing gown.

"No, if Sam's sick, you might need me, too," Daniel countered, as his brain finally kicked into a gear besides low.

Kataya nodded her acquiescence, only saying, "Very well; however, if you are going, then please help Lantash. He is still drugged and therefore probably unsteady on his feet." Turning to Lantash, she asked, "Is Martouf awake?"

"No. He is still unconscious. What has happened, Kataya? I do not remember this happening when you, well, when we decided to have kits. I remember that scent, the purring and mewling. I only wish that I had remembered it sooner. I only recognized it when I regained consciousness this time. But, I do not remember it being like this," Lantash said, as he turned toward her in his distress. He gazed at her, before realizing what he was doing, then averting his eyes he swallowed, hard. He had forgotten what a beautiful body she had. "I am sorry," he said, as he turned back around while she finished pulling a gown on and settling the robe around her.

"You have no need to apologize, Lantash. You are obviously distraught, and if what I suspect has happened, has indeed happened," her voice trailed off and she shrugged, as they left the room and walked the few steps to Lantash and Samantha's chamber.

Daniel walked beside Lantash, frowning as he held his arm to help him. It was apparent that Kataya was correct and he was not steady on his feet at all. Besides, Kataya had said he was drugged. He wished he could make the connection. When he stepped into their room and the heavy scent of musk and something else he couldn't put a name to hit him, he had a sudden flash of himself and Kataya being surrounded by a similar scent. Only with Kataya, it had been the musk and roses, concentrated a hundred fold with some indefinable scent added. He wished he could remember why it happened, though, as he felt that answer was pretty important right now.

Kat turned on the light as they entered the room. Sam was tossing on the bed and had become uncovered. Lantash and Daniel both gasped, as Kataya walked calmly to the bed, and reached for Sam with one hand while she covered her with the other. Daniel stood transfixed by both the scent and the sight of Sam. Kataya sat on the edge of the bed and Lantash came around to talk to her as he gazed in horror at his Samantha.

"What did I do to her, Kataya? How could I do this to her?" Anguish colored his voice, and he was obviously appalled at what he was seeing.

Kataya sighed. "You did only what she told you to do, Lantash. Do not let it concern you. Moreover, I believe that you will find that most of the blood is yours. You have only to look at yourself to see that. She would have used her claws on you to, ah, bring blood to the surface. When you drew blood on her, it allowed her to release her eggs and the blending of your blood and your semen will ensure fertilization. As for the blood, there is not as much here as it looks like, it is simply somewhat smeared making it appear more than there is."

"Everything Samantha did was done on instinct only. None of the wounds are any more than minor, including the one or two you inflicted on her neck. They will heal quickly, probably within hours. She had no prior knowledge of this, Lantash. None. However, prior knowledge or not, the consequences are the same. Congratulations, Lantash. You are quite probably going to once again become a father."

"No, this can not be allowed to happen, Kat. She is not able to withstand being with child. You know she needs care, food, rest, and … how could this happen, Kataya? Why would she do this?"

Kataya shook her head, "As I said, she did _not _deliberately do this, Lantash. I suppose this is something I should have foreseen. As a Furling, she would have known, but as a Tau'ri, she has had no experience in suppressing her heat cycle. Young Furling females learn to control them and until they are a few millennia old, they use a liquid that suppresses it. It never occurred to me that Samantha would have a Furling heat cycle rather than her normal Tau'ri cycle. I am sorry and I will discuss it with her, if you wish."

"Are you sure she, she conceived?

"The Pher'ak'tel, will have caused you to allow Martouf to release sperm, Lantash. There is no way you would have been in any condition to stop that from happening, as you would normally have done, nor would you have any desire to prevent conception," Kataya explained to him softly.

Can you be positive?"

"I will check her with my ribbon device, but my opinion, from the amount of scent and depth of the drugging on you and Martouf, is that it is very probable. I can stop it, if you wish. I can use the healing device on her to abort anything that may have started. I really think that should be her decision, though, not ours."

"Of course, you are right. If she is with child, and wishes to remain so, then, then we will adjust. You and I had kits and managed, and Samantha and I will also, if that is her wish." He looked stricken for a moment. "I assured her there would be no children because of the pain involved, Kataya. I have broken my word."

"I hardly think she will consider this a breach of your word, Lantash, and I can assure you that she never took your words seriously. She wanted to have children with you, so I do not imagine she will be unduly upset. Remember, she is the one that drugged you, however inadvertently."

Hearing Sam begin to purr loudly, Lantash and Kataya looked over at her in time to see Daniel lean over and kiss her. Sam wove her arms around his neck; he looked at her dazedly, and wrapped her in his arms.

Lantash looked on, in shock, and Kat laughed abruptly, before reaching over and taking Sam's arms from around Daniel's neck. "No, Samantha, you do not wish to mate with my Daniel. In fact, it is time you stopped wanting to mate at all. Daniel, you will come with me please. Daniel!" Giving up on that, she turned to Lantash, who seemed to have acquired at least a little immunity to the pheromones that Sam was producing. They were very strong, Kat realized. They were even affecting her slightly. She needed to awaken Merdwin. The scent was filtering into the hall, and soon it would affect the rest of the men on that floor.

"Lantash, stay with her and try to soothe her _without_ mating with her again. Daniel, you will come with me, now," she said, as she took his hand from where he was slowly caressing Sam, and led him from the room. "If you wish to be aroused by pheromones, you will use that arousal on me." Daniel followed her happily from the room. The nice thing about it was that most men did not care what female they were with, as long as they were with one.

She knocked on Merdwin's bedroom door. She could hear the sound of low-voiced conversation and then the door opened. Merdwin stood in front of her, and his eyes widened before he slammed his door and retreated into his room.

"What was that all about?" Daniel frowned at the rudeness of the gesture.

"He will return in a moment, Daniel, once he has protected himself."

"Protected himself from what? There isn't any danger here," Daniel said as he frowned again, trying to figure out what the problem was. Finding no logic in Kataya's response or Merdwin's, he abandoned that thought to a more pleasant activity. Leaning forward, he pulled Kataya to him and began to nuzzle her neck. She shivered slightly, before sighing regretfully and pulling away. "I am sorry, Daniel, but not now. Please go back to our room, my love. I know you recognize the scent and I know you will realize what can happen. Please, Daniel, try very hard to fight this, difficult as that will be," she said, before relenting and leaning her forehead against his and pulling forth the remainder of the memories that had tried to surface a short time before. He needed them in order to protect himself. She simply could not be worried about him, when she had a house full of males to protect.

Shaking his head as if to clear it and then nodding, he said, "Yeah, I think I will. Wow. That is some strong stuff. It's a very powerful, potent aphrodisiac, isn't it?" He frowned as the memories came to him. Closing his eyes, he said, "Oh, yeah, very powerful. It's only used when kits are to be conceived. It's part of your mating cycle. Sam's pregnant isn't she, Kataya?"

"Yes, it is, and yes, very probably. _Coeurawyn,_ please, I suggest you go into our room and sit outside on the balcony so that your senses can clear. I have tried to protect you, but it will not last long. Merdwin will be able to weave a stronger shield and cast it, but until he does, you will be alright if you remain in our room and get some fresh air."

Nodding his agreement, he leaned forward and caught her lips in a kiss before pulling back and saying, "I agree. I'll just become another problem if I remain here. If you need me, you'll call, though, right?"

"Yes, I promise you, I will." She said softly. "And perhaps," she teased him, "once we settle this, I will allow you to come into the hall for a short time right before I return, although I do not believe that we need it."

Daniel laughed shortly, agreed, kissed her lightly on the cheek, and headed back to their room to shut himself into it. Then he would go out either onto the balcony or, at the least, to stand in the open doorway leading out there.

The door behind Kataya opened, and Merdwin and Janet came into the hall. "What has happened, Kataya?"

"Samantha has come into heat and released a great amount of pheromones into the air. Martouf is still drugged; I believe this is due to the fact that she has no control over the amount or potency of the hormones and chemicals that she is generating. Lantash is recovering, but barely, and if he is left in the room with her for long, he will probably succumb again. They are both, ah, in rather tattered condition."

Hearing a scream from down the hall, one that they both recognized, she added, "And I believe that Gwennetha just added to the amount of pheromones in the air. Unless I miss my guess, in four to five months, we will become grandparents."

TBC


	8. Damage Control 8 DOTQ

**_Chapter Eight Summary:_**_ Being with Martouf and Lantash again has thrown Sam into Lun'ak'mat, the Furling mating cycle. Since none of them knew about it or expected it, it runs rampant between them until Lantash finally recognizes the scents and symptoms. Damage control is needed...immediately...if they are to keep the remainder of the people there unaffected. Jacob is a little testy when he realizes that something is wrong with Sam, but is brought to realize that something must be done for her and he can't do it. _

**_Pher'ak'tel_**_ - The Essence given off by the Female during the Furling Mating Ritual. Only used for Conception _

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ - __Furling Mating Cycle_

**_Matak'lun'ek_**_– A Potion used to Control the Heat Cycle in young Furling Females until they learn to control them for themselves._

**_Adorato Wyn_**_ –__ My Adored One _

**_Siesht'tat'mate_**_ – Furling Coffee… Very Aromatic and Invigorating._

**_Caruswyn _**_–__ Dear One, Dearest One_

**_Carusawyn_**_ – My Dear One, My Dearest One_

**_Amat Wyn – _**_My Love_

* * *

**_This chapter should be considered T-rated for content. There are no sex scenes as such, but a great deal is implied and discussed. There is some mild pre-slash in a scene that is a set up for a somewhat comedic scene between Martouf/Lantash and Daniel in the next chapter, which is mostly comedy. _**

**_I hope you are all still enjoying the story. _**

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Eight  
_**

**_Damage Control_**

* * *

"I suggest a shield over Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill's doors. Also, Jacob and Jocasta's, Brialek's, and Ellen Stevenson's."

Merdwin's nostrils flared and his eyes flashed, but he said nothing for a few moments. When he did, it was not helpful at all, so he might as well have said nothing, "Why did Gwennetha not come prepared for this? Did she not realize that once reunited with her mate, it could cause her to come into heat?"

"I would guess that she has her _Matak'lun'ek_ with her, but did not realize that she needed to take extra. If Samantha had not come into heat, the chances are that she would have recognized the signs, as they would have been gradual and obvious to her. She, then, could have taken the steps to correct it, if she so chose."

"We do not know if this was deliberate on her part. Perhaps she, Malek, and Dev decided that they wanted kits now. If so, she may very well be the one that threw Sam into it. I doubt that scenario, though, since I believe that Samantha succumbed first. Therefore, Gwennetha could not have known, any more than we did, that she would be exposed to a very potent form of _Pher'ak'tel._ Gwennetha would, however, be much more sensitive to it than we would, as I am sure you know, _Caruswyn_," Kataya reminded him gently, but reprovingly.

Sighing, she continued, "Merdwin, the hows and whys can be sorted out later. For now, we have a house full of men and women that we need to protect. Particularly the men, although I can assure you that the pheromones are also having some affect on the females, if my reaction is anything to go by. And Samantha is very deeply drugged herself," Kataya said, as she watched Janet.

She sighed again. Evidently, Merdwin had not thought to shield Janet. She could do that for him, as long as she stayed close to her. Seeing the amusing side of this entire incident, her lips slipped into a wry smile. All they needed was Jacob Carter to come roaring out of his room, demanding to know what was going on out here in the hall at this time of night. When he found out his daughter was '_in heat_' he would probably come unglued.

Right on cue, two doors opened. Jacob Carter came out of one, and Jack O'Neill and Teal'c exited the other.

"What's goin' on, Mer? Why are you all in the hall in the middle of the night? Is something wrong?" Jack O'Neill demanded.

"Not exactly, Jack. There is no threat, at any rate. I need you to go back into your rooms and stay there, please."

Merdwin looked to Kataya, and after giving it some thought, she said, "I believe that would be sufficient if you put a barrier on the door, as I suggested. They can open the balcony doors to allow fresh air into the room. Where are Lieutenant Stevenson and Brialek?"

"They have watch. They should be outside." Jack said, looking in confusion from Kataya to Merdwin.

"Contact them and tell them that under no circumstances are they to come inside until we tell them that it is alright. Jacob, you need to go into your room and open the door to the balcony. Do not come back out into the hall until we let you know that it is cleared. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, please do the same, and Merdwin, you need to contact Valynara. I cannot work on both Gwennetha and Samantha at the same time," Kataya said, laying out a plan of action. "Janet, you must stop caressing Merdwin and come with me. You are already affected somewhat, and I do not want to leave you alone with Jack and Teal'c."

Realizing what she was doing, and understanding what Kataya and Merdwin had been talking about, she flushed as she jerked her hand back from Merdwin's arm and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. Of course, I'll do whatever I can to help."

The door to Sam and Martouf's room opened, and Lantash stood sagging against the doorframe. "Kataya? You must do something, as I cannot get her to calm down, and I believe I am weakening and will succumb to her pleading soon."

"I am sorry, Lantash, we should not have left you alone with her in that condition. I will come," Kataya, told him as she headed toward the man leaning so tiredly against the frame.

"What's goin' on?" Jacob demanded forcefully. "Is something wrong with Sam? Is that why you are all out here?" His suspicions raised, he headed for the room, only to have Merdwin block his way. Kataya had reached Lantash's side and slid her arm around him to help him to stand.

"You cannot go in there, Jacob. Please do as I ask and go into your room. Better yet, go with Jack and Teal'c for an hour or so. I can shield all of you in there quite easily," Merdwin started to explain.

"I want to see my daughter, and I want to see her now," Jacob bit out curtly.

"No! Ah, no, you cannot, Jacob, not right now," Lantash said uneasily.

"What have you done to her? I demand to see her. If you've hurt her, I'll-," Jacob started to say, only to have Kataya interrupt him in mid speech.

"Jacob, Lantash has not harmed Samantha. I promise you, she will be fine," she said quietly.

"Then tell me what's wrong with her. This is my daughter we are talking about here, and I think that I deserve an explanation. This obviously concerns her, and there is something wrong or you wouldn't -," again, he was stopped in mid-sentence, this time by Valynara's arrival.

"Oh, my, it is quite strong here in the hall. If it is this strong here, their rooms must reek of it. You will definitely need to get it aired out as soon as possible. What do you need me to do, Kataya, Merdwin?" She asked at once, realizing that there was a multitude of complications in the situation where a woman's skills would work best. She and Kataya would no doubt help the two women involved while Merdwin and Daniel took care of Martouf, Lantash, Malek, and Devlin. Furthermore, Merdwin needed to get the other men into rooms and guard them against the quite obvious abundance of pheromones the women were still producing.

"Thank you for coming so promptly, Val. I believe the problem would dissipate in a few hours on its own; however, I believe we may need to help it along by attempting to lessen it now, rather than wait. Samantha has no control over hers, and I suspect that Gwennetha is in the same condition. I do not believe that either of them did this deliberately, and therefore, I think that they have been caught completely unprepared."

"If you would not mind, please help Gwennetha to reduce the level of her pheromones, and I will do what I can for Samantha. I believe Merdwin will have his hands full with the males here, as well as caring for Malek. Martouf, as far as I know, is still unconscious?" she added, an upward inflection to her statement, as she looked at Lantash.

He shook his head tiredly, "That is part of the problem. He is awake and very amorous. I do not like forcing him, Kataya. We share the body and I dislike forcing my control on him. He is being very vocal about that, and he is berating me for letting Samantha suffer. In truth, I believe she _is_ beginning to suffer, Kataya, but I do not know what to do for her other than, um, never mind," he stopped speaking, after seeing Jacob staring at him.

Merdwin turned and strode into the bedroom, only to return almost immediately, saying, "He is correct, Kataya, you must do something right away, even if it is something as primitive as a cold shower."

Nodding, Kataya said, "Actually, that is probably a very sound idea, Merdwin. For all four of them. You get the others into their rooms and secured, and then go help Val with Gwennetha and Malek. I will have Daniel give Lantash and Martouf a cold shower, and Janet and I will see to it that Samantha also has one."

"I'm still waiting for an explanation, and I am not going into my room until someone gives me one. Do I make myself clear?" Jacob bit out in his best '_I am the General, you will listen to me'_ voice.

Jocasta had joined him. They stood looking at Lantash and finally, Merdwin said, "Jacob. Samantha has come into heat. It is a Furling trait, and we did not realize that she would have it. Neither she nor Martouf and Lantash had any idea of what it was, or how to control it. She is infecting everyone with her pheromones, and if you do not all go into that room and open the balcony doors to let in fresh air, allow me to strengthen the shield around you by having you all together, and doing as we say, you are all going to find yourselves acting in variously embarrassing ways, very shortly." As Jacob's jaw dropped, Jack's eyes widened and Teal'c's eyebrow rose alarmingly, Lantash, who had left Kataya's arm in favor of the wall, began a very slow slide toward the floor as his legs gave out. Moaning, he allowed his head to fall back and rest against the wall that was supporting him.

Watching as he finally attained a seated position without any indecent displays, Merdwin turned back to Jacob. "Do you have any more questions?"

"Are you saying that my daughter is in some kind of – of animal heat? And that it can affect the rest of us and make us, well, uh, you know?"

"Yes, I am," Merdwin replied solemnly, but his lips twitched treacherously.

Jacob rubbed his face before muttering, "I don't believe this. This can't be happening. I'm standing in a hall in the middle of the night, listening to an alien tell me that my daughter is in heat like a damn cat. I'm dreaming, right? This isn't really happening."

Jack reached over and pinched him. As Jacob yelped and jerked his arm back, he said, "Well, if you're dreaming, I'm in your dream, too, cause I'm hearing the same things being said."

Scowling, Jacob said, belligerently, "Well, I don't believe it. I don't feel any different. And how do you know this, Merdwin? I mean, how can you know it and we don't? And if it's not affecting us, then maybe we should be the ones to take care of her."

"I shielded you, Jacob." Realizing that Jacob was not going to believe him, Merdwin gestured with his left hand and waited, watching the man that faced them.

Suddenly, Jacob threw his head back and frowned, "What's that smell? I didn't notice it a minute ago." He turned to Jocasta, "Do you smell that?"

"I cannot smell anything, Jacob. I believe that Merdwin is allowing you to experience what he is telling you, to convince you that he is telling you the truth." She said softly, her eyes looking at him with gentleness.

Whipping back around to Merdwin and Kataya, he demanded, "Are you telling me that _Sam_ is causing that scent?" He took several steps toward the open bedroom door, stopped, and turned wide eyes on Merdwin. "My God. How often do Furling females do this?" he asked, awed, as Merdwin replaced his shielding.

"Rarely, Jacob. It is only used to conceive kits," Merdwin replied.

"Well, that's good, I'd hate to think that, - W-W-What? Conceive? As in _Babies_?" Jacob's voice increased in volume with every word.

"Well, it is a little premature, Jacob, but I imagine that we will be offering our congratulations to you on your pending grandfather-hood by this time tomorrow. Although, there is no guarantee that Samantha conceived, so it is not certain that she did so. And if what we suspect happened took place, Kataya, Daniel, Janet and I will be looking forward to becoming grandparents, also."

Looking stunned, Jacob turned back towards the room where Sam was. He looked at Lantash as he slumped against the wall, a look of pain on his face, his hands clenched in white-knuckled fists. "What exactly is wrong with Lantash and Martouf?" He wanted to know.

"They are still under the influence of the pheromones, Jacob, and Lantash is resisting them. You must understand. The female drugs both herself and the male. I am not going to go into the details tonight, but if you wish to discuss it with me tomorrow, I will explain. For tonight, all you need to know is that Martouf is still drugged enough that he wishes to continue mating with Samantha, a most unwise action at this point. Lantash is attempting to stop them and he is exhausted by, well, you do _not_ want the particulars, just believe me when I tell you he is exhausted. Jacob, please, we need to be taking care of them, not making explanations that could very well wait until later."

Nodding as he finally realized that his daughter needed care that he was not qualified to give her, he said, "You'll take care of them? They'll be okay, right? I mean, this isn't going to cause some kind of setback or anything?" He questioned, as the ramifications started to come into his mind.

"We will take very good care of them, Jacob, I promise you. There should be no adverse affects to this. It should not cause any setbacks. She will be fine," Kataya assured him softly.

Looking into her eyes, he realized that she was telling him the truth. They _would_ take care of them and they _would_ be all right. Giving her a slight smile of acceptance, he turned to Jack and taking Jocasta's arm, said, "Got any cards Jack? It looks like we've got an hour or so to kill."

"Yeah, I do. You up for some five card stud? Er, well, maybe not, how about some Blackjack?" Jack said, as they walked toward the door to the bedroom.

Merdwin turned to Kataya. "Valynara and I will care for Gwennetha and Malek. I will open the windows and air the hall out."

Kataya agreed and she and Janet stepped over to Lantash. "Come, Lantash. We will care for you and Samantha now. I am going to check on Daniel. Come with me, please, while Janet goes in to start talking to Sam," Kataya said to him gently, as she helped him to stand. Looking toward Janet, she said, "Try to get her into a cold shower, Janet. It is primitive, but could be somewhat effective as a short-term control. If they have conceived, the pheromones should begin to dissipate on their own before long, and the cold will hurry it along. I will use my ribbon to determine if conception did take place, and if so, I will attempt to manipulate her hormones so that they will cease at once. Valynara will no doubt do the same for Gwennetha."

"And if they haven't conceived?" Janet asked. "What then? Won't they continue to do this until they do?" She inquired, with just a trace of awe in her voice at the thought of the single-mindedness of the Furling female's bodies.

"If they have not conceived, we will give them _Matak'lun'ek_. It is an effective birth control method; it keeps the heat cycle from occurring. It is quite safe, and, eventually, as they get older, they will be able to regulate it themselves without help. Once we are fully mature, we only have heat cycles when we wish to bear kits. Only young Furling females cannot fully control their bodies' functions in this way. We do not know why, but it is probably not coincidence that, even in very young Furling, they gain control of it after having kits. Otherwise, it can take millennia to learn to control it," She finished her short explanation, hoping that it would answer the questions she knew Janet had, at least for now. She dreaded explaining to Janet about the Furling mating rituals in order to conceive. Janet would no doubt be appalled, but she was not Furling, and so need not be concerned about it.

Lantash had gotten slowly to his feet and stood next to her, swaying slightly. As she urged him forward, he followed her to her bedroom door. It was all he could do to stop himself from reaching for her. Dear Universe, would this never leave his system? She closed the door behind them, and this time he was cognizant enough that he realized at once that the scent was much less in this room.

As Kataya pushed him down onto the bed, he closed his eyes and moaned, gripping his hands to keep from reaching for her. He felt her kneel in front of him and opened his eyes. Pleading with his eyes, he said, his voice husky with need, "I do not know how much more I can take of this, Kataya. Martouf is, he does not understand what is happening yet, and his urging is almost more than I can resist. You know as well as I that if we were with Samantha, we would be," he sighed deeply, then drew in a deep breath. "As I am not with her, it is all I can do to keep my hands from you, but I am sure you realize that."

Sympathy in her face and voice she said, "I am aware, _Adorato Wyn_, and I understand. I will leave you as soon as I can. However, I must know, Lantash, if you have healed yourself. You need to take the time to do that, or I can use the ribbon on you to heal you. I do not think that you would wish me to do this thing for you, but I wished you to know that I am willing to heal you, if you need me to."

He shook his head, saying, "I have taken care of that much, Kataya. I took the opportunity to take care of it before Martouf regained consciousness. Kataya? I do not want O'Neill saying one word to my Samantha about this. If she realizes what happened and that everyone knows, she will be extremely embarrassed."

"He will say nothing, Lantash, I promise you. Not to you and not to Samantha. If he does not listen to me, he will to Merdwin, and we will see to it that Samantha does not realize that he is aware of what happened. If I have to, I will block his memories of the last two hours."

"You cannot do that, Kataya."

She smiled into his eyes and said quietly, "You would be surprised at what I am capable of doing to protect those that I love, Lantash. And, you know how much I love you, Martouf, and Samantha. Stop worrying about it, _Amat Wyn_, for between Merdwin and myself, it will be taken care of before the sun rises on the morrow, this I promise you. I am going to awaken Daniel and have him give you a cold shower."

"Does it have to be cold, Kataya? I hate cold water."

"I remember and I am sorry, dear one, but yes, it must be." Standing, she walked to the open balcony door and smiled down at Daniel, where he lay in a lounge type chair, fast asleep. Reaching down, she shook him gently.

He awoke immediately, for once, not the least bit groggy. He had expected her to come for him to help in some way, and had been halfway listening for it, even though asleep.

"Daniel, I need you to help Lantash to take a cold shower. I am sorry, but it must be cold and you may have to help him. I do not think Martouf is going to want to do this, and while Lantash can always force him, he will not wish to do so. You will probably have to explain to Martouf. He may listen to you more so than Lantash in this instance. Once he is calmed down and cold, you will need to put him to bed and get in with him. Cover him well, for he must not remain chilled. You will need to give him body heat from yourself. He cannot go back to Samantha's bed yet, possibly not at all tonight. If I know you are caring for him, then I can assure Sam that he is all right. He said he healed himself, but if he did not, then you must let me know and I will have to do it. I imagine he did, but he is under a great deal of stress right now."

At Daniel's raised eyebrows, she shook her head and said, "I will explain tomorrow. For now, I need to go help Janet with Sam. If she conceived, the pheromones should be lessening. And either way, I will do my best to stop them, now."

"Okay. You go ahead." Looking past her to Lantash, sitting on the bed and obviously having an internal conversation that did not appear to be going well, he said, "I'll go take care of this half." Giving her a swift kiss, he sent her back into the room and followed her in. Watching her pick up her ribbon device and leave the room, he knew that one thing was certain. The next hour or so was going to be trying for all of them.

"Lantash? Martouf?" Daniel questioned as he crouched down in front of them.

"Yes, Daniel," Lantash answered, "we are both here. I am trying to convince Martouf that we must get into the shower. I have tried to explain to him what has happened, but I believe he is still quite drugged."

Knowing just from the sound of his voice that Lantash was close to exhaustion from fighting to control Martouf by persuasion rather than physically forcing him, he leaned toward them and laid his hand on his shoulder. The scent that reached him, as he got closer to Lantash made his eyes open wide and rocked him back on his heels. Whoa, that stuff was so very, very potent. For a moment, he had been tempted to … no, surely not. He'd never had those kinds of thoughts about Martouf or Lantash before. Or, any other man, for that matter. It had to be the pheromones or hormones or whatever it was, perhaps even the combination of them all. He had to get them into that shower and try to wash some of it off him. It was mixing with the smell of, well, of sex**,** too, and it was proving to be a heady mixture.

Coming back toward Lantash again, he found himself looking into smoldering blue-gray eyes darkened with desire. As he felt the answering desire curl within himself, his eyes widened and his lips parted slightly. Dear Universe, he wanted his friend, his brother by the blood rite, in _that_ way. In perfect accord, they leaned toward one another and their lips met, tentatively exploring. Leaning into the kiss, they reached for one another, neither sure exactly what they needed, but willing to find out. As the kiss deepened, Lantash moaned deep in his throat, and their embrace tightened, Daniel's hand weaving its way into Lantash's hair. A door slammed down the hall and they jerked apart, staring wildly at one another, breathing heavily.

Martouf came fore and said, his voice husky with tamped down desire, "I believe that Lantash is indeed correct, Daniel. This proves the truth of what he has been trying to explain to me. You must get us into the cold water as soon as possible, please." He looked into Daniel's eyes, his own stricken and awash with conflicting emotions, "I am so sorry, Daniel, Lantash, and I both. I can only apologize to you for what just happened and assure-"

Daniel placed his fingers over Martouf's lips to stop his apology before it could go any farther, telling him quietly, "I think we both know that we love each other. I think we also know that until tonight, there hasn't been a sexual overtone, or any sexual aspects, to our relationship. Please don't apologize for something that we had no control over. It caught us off guard because we didn't realize the pheromones worked that way between two people of the same sex. We can't forget it happened, but we can put it into context."

Lantash came forward and shook his head, "I do not believe it does work that way between two people of the same sex, Daniel, or Kataya would have warned us." He frowned, staring at nothing for a moment, obviously trying to think about what could have caused the unusual feelings and behavior. They both looked up as Kataya opened the door and walked into the room. Daniel started guiltily and jumped to his feet, stepping away from Lantash, a flush rising in his cheeks.

Looking from one of them to the other, she said slowly, "I thought that I should let you know that while the pheromones in the air would not have odd effects on you, the scent that is left from their couplings, and ours, could affect the two of you. I think that perhaps I am a little late, so all I can say is that it is not nearly as potent this way, and you should have little trouble denying the urges once you are aware of what is causing them to occur. These are normal urges when caused by the combination of, well, you know. Please do not think that you have suddenly discovered some sexual preference of which you were unaware. After the shower, once the scent is gone, you will not feel it again and you will both wonder where it came from. Accept it as the natural expression of love between you and move on."

"Kataya. What made you suddenly remember this?"

"I started feeling them myself while I was helping Sam, and I realized that Janet, too, was fighting her urges, and that she was quite upset by them. After I explained to her and we got Sam in the shower, I realized I should probably come to you and discuss this or at least warn you, in case it occurred."

Lantash groaned and then his lips twitched as he took in the expanding circles of this crisis. "I hope that this is not affecting Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c? They are shielded, are they not?" he asked quietly.

Daniel and Kataya stared at him as the mental picture his question brought to mind left them both slightly stunned. Shaking herself free of the vivid image, she said, "No. It would not, even if Merdwin had not shielded them. They would be exposed to only the pheromones, not the, ah, scent of the mating," she said, as delicately as she could.

"In that case, _Adorato Wyn_, I believe you can safely leave Daniel and I to get on with this cold shower. On the bright side, it convinced Martouf that there actually was something more going on than he knew, and he began to believe my insistence that we were drugged and must take a cold shower. He hates them as much as I do."

Feeling the tension ease as Lantash spoke with more confidence and ease about the incident, Daniel smiled at him saying, "Well, now that we know we haven't suddenly lost our minds, I agree, we need to get you two into that shower. Thank you for telling us, _Amat Wyn_. Now, go and finish with Sam, while I help Martouf and Lantash."

She nodded and then said, "Once you get him in the shower, while he is there, you should change the sheets. The scent on those," she said, as she nodded towards the tousled bed linens, "will trigger the same response as long as the pheromones are still in the air and the hall is not cleared of it yet. Every time we open the doors, some goes out. Although not as potent, it is still there. We have changed the sheets in Lantash and Martouf's room."

"Remember what I said about body heat, Daniel, and keeping them warm. You must leave the windows open which means they could become chilled. Once you take them out of the cold shower, put them into bed. You will have to get in with them. Another reason that I thought I should tell you all of this."

Nodding his understanding, Daniel turned to Martouf, "Ready?"

"Will I not be returning to Samantha's side?"

"Not tonight, Martouf. I am sorry. I do not think it would cause a recurrence, but I do not want to take that chance. Merdwin and I agree. Valynara will stay with Gwennetha, Malek will stay with Merdwin, you and Lantash, with Daniel, and Janet and I with Samantha."

"Malek and Gwennetha?" Martouf questioned faintly.

"Yes. It, um, seems that Samantha coming into heat so strongly overrode Gwennetha's precautions and she also came into heat. So it looks as if there will be two sets of kits soon. Now, go with Daniel, and we will talk later, if you wish. I will give Samantha your love as soon as she is capable of remembering it, I promise."

Martouf looked alarmed, "Is she alright, Kataya? I did not hurt her badly, did I? Please, I must see her, see if she is alright."

"Martouf, calm down. Samantha is fine. She is just very tired and more than a little confused. Please remember that she did not do this deliberately. As far as we can tell, she remembers very little after the first time you made love. I imagine your memories are as spotty as hers are. You will recall more of what occurred after you have rested. There is nothing wrong with her, please believe me."

Martouf closed his eyes. "There was blood. I remember seeing blood. What did I do to her?"

"You nipped her neck and shoulders once or twice. Most of the blood was yours, Martouf. If you ask Lantash about it, I am sure that he will explain. I must get back to helping Janet."

"I am sorry to keep you away from her. Please, do go, Kataya, and I will let Lantash fill me in on what he can remember. And thank you for all you and everyone have done."

"You are welcome. Daniel, the shower, please, fifteen to twenty minutes minimum, preferably as long as he can stand."

Nodding, Daniel looked down into the appalled gaze of his friend, grasped his him by the waist, and helped him to stand. "The shower. Okay, here we go."

"I '_hate'_ cold showers, Daniel," Lantash came fore to grumble, almost petulantly. "They drop my body temperature too far and I shiver, which then makes Martouf even colder. It is a vicious circle."

"I know," Daniel, said, his voice laced with sympathy, "but Kataya and Merdwin both agree that it is the fastest way to clear the pheromones and hormones out of your system. Evidently, they don't like cold either. If I understood what Kataya showed me, warm or hot water would intensify them, so we'll go for as cold as we can get."

Reaching the bathroom, he guided them to the shower. It certainly couldn't be called a stall. As large as a small bathroom itself, it was made of various sizes of sandstones and the water came from numerous outlets around the walls and ceiling. Each section could be shut down separately, but Daniel made sure they were all on.

Turning back to Martouf and Lantash, he was not surprised to see them sagging tiredly against the wall. Gritting his teeth, determination in the lines of his face, he reached out and undressed Martouf and then himself. He had no choice but to personally take him in there. He hated cold showers, but somehow he knew he would never get them in there unless he went, too. He hoped the cold water would revive them enough that he would be able to leave them alone long enough to change the sheets and get the bed ready. Somehow, he thought it would.

Standing Martouf and Lantash in the very center of the shower, swaying slightly, but standing without assistance, Daniel leaned over and turned the cold water on as hard as it would go.

At their bellow of outrage and surprise, he grabbed them and began to laugh as they sputtered under the multiple showers of cold water. There was nowhere in the entire shower to get away from the water.

"Daniel, this will not do. I cannot, I will not allow this," Lantash said firmly.

Grabbing him and holding him tightly, he looked into his eyes and said softly, "You're doing this for yourself, Martouf, and Sam. You do want to make both of them better, don't you?"

Moaning loudly, he looked around frantically for a moment and then acquiesced, admitting, "You are correct, of course. Moreover, if I must do so, then I may as well take advantage of it to clean our body. Where are the cleaning implements and solutions? Is there some cleaning fluid in here?" he asked quietly.

Daniel nodded to a shelf cut into the wall behind him. "Shampoo, body cleanser, shaving cream and razor. I think I'd wait on hot water for the shave though. Do your best, Lantash. Kataya said twenty minutes. I checked my watch when we stepped in. Can you manage on your own, or do you need me to help you?"

"I believe I can manage, Daniel, thank you, and there are seats built into the corners, unfortunately, not out of the water's spray."

Daniel nodded and grabbing one of several washcloths, he quickly soaped, washed, and rinsed himself, as Lantash began to do the same in a much slower manner. Daniel could see him beginning to shiver. He washed and rinsed his hair quickly, stepped out and grabbed a large bath towel. "I'm going to go change the sheets and get rid of the others, Lantash, if you think you and Martouf will be alright for a while."

"If we do not freeze to death first, we will be fine," Lantash responded morosely, as his teeth began to chatter. "Please do go and attend to the bed, for I believe we will be more than ready to climb beneath the covers and attempt to raise our body temperature."

Grinning at Lantash's grumpiness, Daniel headed into the other room, but spun around and stuck his head back into the bathroom in time to catch Lantash attempting to leave the shower. "And no cheating. Get back in there and stay there until I tell you that your time is up. If you don't stop cheating, I'll make you stay an extra ten minutes," he threatened, only half in jest. Lantash had to stay in there for the allotted time, and if it took him ten minutes to change the bed and he couldn't trust him, then they would stay for the extra time in the water.

Glaring at his friend, Lantash returned to the cold water, muttering imprecations under his breath. Daniel watched as he stood for a moment under the shower and then shivering, sank down to sit on the stone floor. Good. That was a safer place for him, anyway. He left to finish with the bed and each time he checked, Lantash was sitting miserably in the middle of the shower, obviously having a conversation with Martouf. Neither of them appeared happy.

He finished the bed and heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he found Merdwin standing outside, holding a tray with a large carafe of hot chocolate and a pot of _Siesht'tat'mate_, the Furling equivalent of coffee. "Kataya felt this might help to take the chill off. She knows how much Lantash hates to be cold," he smiled as he handed the tray to Daniel.

"The pheromones are almost gone from the hall. We have released the others to their own rooms, and both Malek and Gwennetha are sleeping soundly. Neither of them were in as drugged a condition as Samantha, Martouf, and Lantash. The pheromones that reached their room were not strong at first, so it took a while for the chemicals to seep into their systems. The rest of us would not have noticed them because they were so faint, but Gwennetha's hold on her cycle was tenuous at best, and it took very little to throw her into her heat. She did not realize what was happening until it was too late to stop it."

He smiled wryly, "So it looks like we will be grandparents. I hope you enjoy the experience. I would imagine you and Kataya will have kits soon yourselves, so all of them will grow up together."

Daniel shook his head, "No, we won't have any soon, Merdwin. Other things must come first."

Merdwin frowned at him, but realizing Daniel did not wish to discuss it, simply acknowledged his statement, and said quietly, "Well, I will wish you goodnight. I must return to Malek, in case he should wake up and decide that he is in the wrong bed. Goodnight, Daniel."

"Goodnight, Merdwin. Thank you for the hot chocolate and coffee."

Closing the door, Daniel set the tray by the bed and headed into the shower to get Martouf and Lantash.

"Daniel? Is the time not up yet? It must be long enough. I am freezing to death," Lantash grumbled, still complaining.

"I'm coming, _Carusawyn_. Just a moment." Daniel grabbed a towel and turned the water off. Looking at Lantash, he frowned. Good grief, the man was almost blue with the cold. Kataya couldn't have meant that cold, could she? He was shivering uncontrollably. "Come on, I'm getting you to bed."

"Yes, please, Daniel," Lantash said, almost stumbling, between being cold and exhausted.

Standing him by the bed, Daniel took the large towel and rubbed him vigorously to help stimulate his circulation. He rubbed briskly up and down his spine to try to help Lantash and heard him moan his relief. As soon as he was dry, he wrapped him in a clean robe. The other robes had the scent on them, and were already long gone, along with the bedding. New sheets and blankets had appeared, so he had wondered if robes had also turned up. He had checked and they were in the wardrobe. Someone had been in, while they were in the shower, and left the linens, and, he suspected, these as well. Kataya had contacted him via the link to tell him to set _all_ of the bed linens and the robes outside the door. When Merdwin had brought the chocolate, he had noticed they were already gone. It was almost like there were little elves or something running around doing things while your back was turned.

Looking in the bureau drawers, he found some pants that looked similar to pajama bottoms. Both of them would feel more comfortable with at least some clothing on, once they were in bed. Kataya had been correct about the incident, though. Now that the scent was gone, he had to admit that the odd urge to kiss Martouf and Lantash was completely gone. And, although he didn't particularly want to do it again, he wasn't embarrassed about it, either. It had been an expression of the love that they felt for one another, transferred into aberrant behavior due to outside influences. It was over and best accepted.

Bringing the pajama bottoms back to the bed, he helped the still-shivering man to pull the bottoms on. When they had accomplished that, he helped him into the bed, and then tucked the blankets up around him, leaving his arms free. He handed him the hot chocolate and was rewarded with a slight smile.

"Drink that and then if you want more, as you can see, there's a whole carafe here of hot chocolate and a pot of coffee. Even some cinnamon rolls, if you want one."

Martouf came forward to say, almost shyly, "Thank you, Daniel, I believe that I am hungry."

Smiling smugly, Daniel answered, sotto voce, "I imagine you expended a great amount of energy. I'd be hungry, too."

Martouf gasped, his eyes widening, before laughing softly, "Mm, yes, from what Lantash has been able to recall, I believe we did. Give me another roll, please." After he swallowed, he looked at Daniel, his look pensive, before he brought himself to say, "We are sorry about what happened earlier, Daniel. We want you to know that it will not happen again. I, we, would dislike it very much if you felt uncomfortable with us."

Daniel smiled at him. "I don't and please don't apologize. I've never kissed a man before like that, but it wasn't unpleasant. I don't think I would go out of my way to look for it, but I refuse to be embarrassed or uncomfortable in the presence of someone that I love because of it. So you have no need to apologize to me, but," he paused, "perhaps you and Lantash would feel more comfortable if I apologized to you?"

Martouf shook his head, "No, no, I do not believe so, Daniel. As you say, it was not unpleasant, but neither is it something we will seek out. We do not really regret it either." He finished decisively.

Daniel looked at them calmly, trying to measure their true emotions before saying, "We expressed the love that we feel for one another. That love was transferred into unusual behavior because of outside influences. Personally, I'd like to accept it for what it was and go on. I'm not embarrassed, nor do I want to do it again. I can accept that."

Martouf nodded, saying, "Lantash and I agree completely, Daniel. You put our feelings into words very well. We, too, can accept it for what it was."

"Good. Now, finish your chocolate. You're still shivering."

"I am sorry, Daniel, but I am still very cold."

"I know." Taking the tray, Daniel set it outside the door, knowing that it would be gone when they got up. Going back into the room, he went first to the balcony door and then the window to close the shutters so that the air could still circulate, but the morning light would not wake them.

Then moving to the bed, he took off his robe, pulled on his set of pajama bottoms, and climbed in. Removing Martouf's robe, he indicated he should lie down, and then he pulled up the covers. "Roll over with your back to me, Martouf," he instructed softly. Feeling Daniel's skin against his back was a shock at first, as was the arm that came across his chest to pull him close. "Our body heat will warm Lantash faster than anything else. Once he's warm, we can move apart, but this is what Kataya said we should try if he was chilled."

He felt Martouf relax as he gave his matter-of-fact explanation. Neither of them moved away from the other. They were both sound asleep within minutes. Lantash was the only one of the three still awake, and he was enjoying the blissful feeling of the heat seeping into and warming his cold body, and the knowledge of the love that surrounded him. It didn't take long for him to follow them into slumber.

TBC


	9. Waking Up With You? 9 DOTQ

**_Chapter Nine Summary: _**_The next morning comes almost too soon. While Sam and Gwennetha seem to take things in stride, Martouf and Malek...don't. Each of them have pretty much the same first response though. Some misconceptions upset both Martouf and Malek. _

**_Pher'ak'tel_**_ - The Essence given off by the Female during the Furling Mating Ritual. Only used for Conception _

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ - __Furling Mating Cycle_

**_Siesht'tat'mate _**_ – Furling Coffee…Very Aromatic and Invigorating._

**_Caruswyn_**_ – My Dear, My Dearest_

**_Carusawyn_**_ – My Dear One, My Dearest One_

**_Mal'et'matk_**_ – Morning Sickness, the Nausea that comes from the Chemicals and Hormones of the Female during the Mating._

**_Amat Wyn_**_ – My Love_

**_Coeurawyn_**_– My Heart_

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Nine_**

**_Waking up with - You?_**

* * *

Samantha Carter slowly awoke. Something wasn't right. There were two warm bodies in her bed. One on either side of her. Casting her mind back to the night before, she remembered waiting for Martouf and Lantash. They had come to her. She had felt energized, her blood humming in her veins. They had made love. Hadn't they? She frowned. In that case, shouldn't she be wrapped in their arms, snuggling, her lips pressed to their neck, or their lips pressed to hers?

She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring at the ceiling. Finally bringing herself to look to her left, she saw a tousled head of auburn hair. Janet. Okay, this was so not a good sign. Moreover, if Janet was on her left side, then was Martouf on her right? What had taken place in this bed last night that she couldn't (wouldn't?) remember?

Forcing herself to look to her right, she saw a face that was as familiar as her own was, but it wasn't Martouf's. Why was Kat in bed with her and Janet instead of Daniel? Furthermore, speaking of that, why wasn't Janet in bed with Merdwin? Maybe she was dreaming. That was it. She was having some really weird dream, where, for some mysterious reason, not only could she not remember the night before, but she seemed to be sleeping with her two best friends instead of her lover. She continued to gaze at Kat, her forehead still puckered in a frown. Shouldn't there be more to a dream than this?

Slowly sitting up, she stared around her, then jerked as Kataya said, "How do you feel this morning, Samantha, other than confused?"

"I'm dreaming, right? I mean, I have to be, because I went to bed with Martouf and Lantash last night. I distinctly remember going to bed with them. I even remember, well, I think I remember, but never mind that, because the point is that I have to be dreaming because, I do remember that. I think. Maybe."

"You're not dreaming, Sam," Janet said, from the other side of her, as she stretched and yawned widely. "I'm afraid you, ah, had an incident last night that necessitated our attendance, and Martouf is, I hope, peacefully sleeping with Daniel and is fine now."

"Maybe you better start at the beginning, because, as odd as me waking up with the two of you is, the idea of Martouf willingly sleeping with Daniel, when he could be with me, is even odder."

"I do not believe anything was said about willingly, Samantha," Kataya pointed out with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I think the beginning would be a very good place to start, and I should assure you that, even though you do not remember the events of last night at the moment, they will eventually come back to you. All of them, I'm afraid."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Sam asked.

"Well, I can't say that you'll dislike the outcome, in fact, I think you'll be overjoyed when the reality finally sinks in. However, there are some things that happened to get to the final outcome that you may be a little, ah, perturbed, about," Janet said carefully.

"I see."

"Well, you will anyway," Kat assured her solemnly before a knock on the door captured her attention. Getting out of bed, she wrapped her robe around herself and answered the door. The tray of pastries, hot chocolate, and _Siesht'tat'mate_, a very highly flavored and aromatic drink very similar to coffee, was handed to her along with the information that brunch would be in a few hours. Thanking the young man, she turned back toward the bed with the tray. She was just in time to see Samantha's eyes widen and her hand cover her mouth as she sprinted for the bathroom.

Ah, yes, the joys of _impending _motherhood; she remembered them well. She remembered them well times three, in fact, and could look forward to them yet one more time, when she and Daniel once again decided to have kits. Well, there was no point in dwelling . Shrugging, she took the tray to the table and motioned Janet to join her. There was, after all, no reason that she and Janet could not enjoy their breakfast. Of course, the sound of Samantha heaving put a little bit of a damper on their appetites before they managed to block the sound out. It was going to be a long day.

"Isn't this a little soon for that, Kat? Do the Furling have morning sickness earlier than the women of earth do?" Janet asked, somewhat concerned. It wasn't unheard of for a pregnant woman to start feeling ill immediately after they became pregnant, but neither was it very common.

Kat smiled at her and shook her head, "There is no need to be concerned, Janet; it is not too soon at all and, in fact, it has arrived on time. _Mal'et'matk_, what you refer to as '_morning sickness',_ is a very common occurrence for us. The intensity of it varies from woman to woman, of course, from almost non-existent to quite ill, and the males tend to have it much worse than the females do. Our period of gestation is between four and five months. This is very common for _mal'et'matk._ In normal circumstances, it tends to happen by the next morning, after conception; sometimes it even occurs within a few hours. I always began to be unwell within six hours of conception. Fortunately, it only lasts for a month or two. It can be quite debilitating if not handled, but we can mitigate quite a bit of it."

"Are you saying that I'm pregnant? How, may I ask, did this happen?"

"Ah, well, surely, you're old enough to know the answer to that, Sam?" Janet asked softly.

Sam rolled her eyes, "Ha, ha, ha. I find it hard to believe that I went to bed not pregnant, slept with the two of you, and woke up this morning in the family way. Is this part of the long story that I may not like parts of but with which I will be happy about the results?"

"Yes, Sam. Yes, it is." Janet answered, as she watched Sam dash back into the bathroom.

"It may take a while to explain this to her at the present rate of conversational exchange," Kataya commented as she took another bite of a pastry covered with honey.

They ate in silence for a time and then Janet said, "I think she should come back to Earth with us, so that I can keep an eye on her."

"That will be up to Samantha, Janet. Her health will not suffer, I assure you. Furling mortality rates are almost non-existent, when it comes to birthing. And you should know that the kits will be born at Avilion. There will be no objection to you being there, if you so desire, but they _will _be born on the altar, in the Sanctuary."

Janet's eyes grew round. "On the altar, in the Sanctuary? That's not possible. She'll have this baby on Earth. I can't imagine Sam agreeing to what you're saying."

"Yes, Janet, I'm afraid I will. I'll have them at Avilion. As a daughter of the house of Artereos, if it is at all possible, it's where they must be born, isn't it?" Sam asked Kataya quietly from where she once again leaned against the doorway.

"Yes, Samantha, it is."

Turning to Kataya, Janet said, "I take it that there is some significance to this child being born there and, since Sam agrees, there isn't much that I can do about it, so I won't fight you on it."

Kataya nodded, saying, "Merdwin will explain it. I think you will be surprised. Daniel and Martouf do not yet know, and we do not wish them to, so please keep the information to yourself once he explains. In the meantime, I believe you should know that it will be kits, Janet. Furlings always have two. One boy and one girl. Unless they have four. We must hope that Samantha is not one of those."

"Oh, my," Janet breathed softly.

* * *

Daniel woke up to the weight of a leg thrown over his, an arm across his chest and a, well, _something,_ pressing firmly against his hip. A heavy leg and a heavy arm, and it was _not_ his sidearm that was pressing into his hip. These were not Kataya's body parts, no doubt about it. There were no soft breasts pressed against his chest. There was no scent of roses and musk, and there were much larger, firmer muscles in the leg and arm, pinning him to the bed.

Nope, not at all like Kataya's body. Memories from the night before rushed to the forefront, and he barely stopped himself from groaning aloud. All he could hope was that Martouf and Lantash remembered what occurred on their own. He thought Lantash would. Martouf was another matter. Thank the universe; Lantash could just let him sort through his memories.

The real question was how was he supposed to get out from under Martouf without waking him? Somehow, he didn't think he could, and even if he managed to evade Martouf without awakening him, he thought Lantash might be a much lighter sleeper. On the other hand, maybe Lantash was so exhausted from, well, _everything_ that he would be deeply asleep and not awaken easily. If Lantash did wake up first, he hoped that he realized what was going on, instead of panicking first and asking questions later. Damn. Well, it was too late to hope for that now; he should have tried to move before _this_ happened.

Martouf tightened his arm around Samantha and pressed his body more firmly, though still gently, against her hip, rocking against her lightly. As he nuzzled her neck, kissing it softly, he felt the roughness of her beard stubble on his forehead. He stopped rocking. The last he remembered, Samantha did not have beard stubble. Then he frowned. As far as he could remember, she did not have hair on her chest, either. In addition, the normal female, er, appendages were conspicuous in their absence, while a swelling farther down, where his leg lay across her, was quite obvious and matched the one he was pressing into her hip. There was no longer any doubt about it; their Samantha's body simply did not feel correct. In fact, she felt very, very wrong.

Furthermore, he believed that he recognized the person he was nuzzling, kissing, and pressing. _"Lantash? Lantash? Lantash!" _ Martouf's voice was obviously that of a person extremely upset and on the edge of panic.

_"W-wha? Whas wrng, Marfff? pha'tk, Kref,' ek? Pshat?" _ Lantash mumbled groggily, mixing his languages and making no sense, as he tried valiantly to swim up through the layers of sleep and bring his senses to bear on what had so upset his beloved Martouf.

_"Why are we in bed with Daniel?"_ Martouf hissed, vehemently. _"Even more important, why are we in bed with Daniel, wrapped around him, pressing our, er, selves, against his hip, kissing his neck, and, and rubbing him? Over and above all of that, where is our Samantha?"_

_"I was cold,"_ Lantash said the first reasonable, to him anyway, thing that came to mind. His memories of the night before were foggy at best, but he was waking up and becoming marginally more coherent. _"Something happened. I remember we showered together. We wanted—needed—that is, we were very, um, aroused, so we kissed Daniel," _Lantash tried to explain, but his memories were still too disjointed to be able to make much sense of them.

_"What?" _ Martouf screeched, as he immediately attempted to remove himself from Daniel.

The sudden activity from Martouf brought Lantash to a slightly more wakeful state; however, he was still quite groggy. Still, he immediately _attempted _to be both rational and soothing to him, _"Martouf! Calm down. We are entangled in the blankets, and you are causing both of us, and Daniel, extreme discomfort."_

"Ow! Hey! Quit it! don't, ack. Umph," Daniel grunted as one of Martouf's elbows punched him in the ribs, and one of his hands landed in some other more tender spots.

Lantash continued to attempt to calm him without having to take control of him at a time when it would obviously be against his will, _"Martouf, take our hand off of his…No! Do not do th…! Wait, umph! Stars of Fire, watch where you are putting our knee. You are going to injure Daniel if you do not calm yourself and become more careful."_

"Sh*t, that hurts! Crap, Martouf, you're gonna…"

"_Move our elbow. Let go of that, Martouf, and stop pressing on his…"_

"Mpfft, ow," Daniel groaned. "Frack, let _go_ already! Lantash," Daniel finally bellowed, "_Do something!"_

_"Martouf! STOP MOVING!"_ Lantash shouted, as he finally came fully awake and tried to gain control without forcibly taking it from Martouf.

"STOP MOVING!" Daniel yelled.

Martouf froze, realizing what he was doing in his panic.

_"You…you are going to harm Daniel; calm down before you do him a painful, if not permanent, injury,"_ Lantash admonished him severely and only slightly more quietly.

Martouf took several quick, deep breaths, threatening to hyperventilate, and attempted to relax. Unfortunately, relaxing brought parts of his anatomy into contact with parts of Daniel's anatomy with which he would prefer not to be in contact. Ever. Screwing his eyes shut tightly, he moaned in embarrassment. "I apologize, Daniel," Martouf said, his voice sounding as if he was strangling.

Taking a calming breath himself, Daniel said, "If you'll just, um, let go of, um, _me_, and uh, move your, ah, arm and leg, I'll, uh, I'll move over so you can, um, get untangled. Lantash was very cold last night, so I imagine he tried to be sure that you stayed well-covered afterwards," Daniel said, his voice apologetic.

Martouf's eye flew open and he stared at Daniel. "What did the two of you do? How long has this been going on? How have you managed to keep this from me? How could you do this to me and to our mates?" He asked harshly.

Finally able to remove himself to the far side of the bed, Daniel sighed. "Ah, this isn't what it appears to be, Martouf, I assure you. Believe me, there is nothing like that going on between Lantash and I. I mean, look, you have your clothes on, and if what you're thinking was going on, was really going on, you wouldn't be dressed, right?" Daniel asked, using as much calm, logic, and common sense as he could muster under the circumstances.

"Why am I here? Why are we here and where is Samantha?" Martouf demanded, only marginally mollified by Daniel's tone of voice and sensible statements, as well as the expanse of bed that now separated them.

"She's in bed in the other room with Kataya and Janet. I'm sure she's fine. Please try not to get upset over this. There's an explanation and it's not any of the wild ideas you have running through your mind."

Martouf's eyes widened and he asked, his voice rising, "I wake up to find myself in bed with you, with you in my arms, and my mate in bed with someone else, and you want me to remain calm?" He asked, incredulous.

"Martouf," Daniel said softly, "Please, think. Obviously, something drastic happened or you wouldn't be here. Isn't Lantash showing you anything of what happened last night?"

"Disjointed images, foggy memories. Whatever happened, he knows only slightly more than I do."

"Great, it needed only that," Daniel said, as he pinched the bridge of his nose, then sighed and continued, "Well, it's going to be a long story. Let's get up and get, well, at least get our robes on, and I'll tell you what I know, okay? Kataya said you would remember everything, just not right at first. I have no idea how long it'll take the memories to filter through, though, so I will explain, I promise. Just, first, let's try to get up and around. You know, awake."

"I am quite wide awake, Daniel, I assure you," Martouf said, stiffly, embarrassment at the position he had found himself in upon awakening, again at the forefront of his mind.

"Don't let it bother you. There's worse, believe me," Daniel said brightly, and then chuckled. "Actually the entire situation is rather like a very good farce," he smiled wryly, "or maybe a very bad farce." Seeing the look on Martouf's face he added, "It wasn't your fault, nor was it Sam's. Merdwin and Kataya are taking the blame. Personally, I don't think anyone is at fault. You and Sam had no way of knowing, and neither did Kataya and Merdwin."

"That is not exactly true, Daniel," Lantash came forward to say. "I should have recognized the scent. I should have known."

"It's been almost a hundred and fifty years, Lantash, don't blame yourself."

"While that may be true, that scent is unmistakable. I do not know how I missed it."

"I wouldn't let it worry me. Sam will be overjoyed and you should be, too."

"What is Samantha going to be overjoyed about, Daniel?" Martouf once again insisted on taking control and talking to Daniel.

"Being pregnant, you know, _with child_." Daniel said bluntly. "Congratulations, Martouf, you and Lantash are going to be fathers."

As Martouf sat, looking somewhat like a stunned mullet, Lantash came forward to say, "I think I will wait to see how Samantha feels about it before I begin to rejoice. She could choose not to have them, you know."

"With child? Them?" Martouf' quavered, after pushing Lantash to one side to take control.

"Furlings always have twins, Martouf. One boy and one girl. Always. Well, unless they have four. I think that does happen." Daniel informed him in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Twins," Martouf repeated. "As in two." Obviously, completely stunned and again incapable of speech or thought, Lantash came forward and sighed, as he said, "My memories are beginning to clear. I believe that between the two of us we can probably explain to Martouf what occurred. And yes, Martouf, two."

"Sounds good to me," Daniel said, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

Answering it, he found one of the Valdellonians with a tray. "Valynara thought you might wish for something to eat and drink in here this morning. There will be a brunch in a few hours. Please set the tray outside the door when you are finished."

"Thank you," Daniel replied, as he took the tray. "I appreciate it very much." Repeating his musings from the night before, he thought, Elves, he would swear to it, there were elves hiding, anticipating his every need, wish, and desire.

Closing the door, he turned back to Martouf and Lantash. "Breakfast. Let's get comfortable and tell Martouf what we know over some hot chocolate, pastries, and an excellent substitute for coffee, what do you say?"

Lantash nodded. "An excellent idea, Daniel. Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome. Any time," Daniel said, as he puttered around setting out the food and the Furling substitute for coffee. Then looking up and waving the exquisitely aromatic cup of _Siesht'tat'mate _towards them, he grinned evilly and added, "But next time, without _the kiss_."

"Daniel?" Martouf' finally found his voice again, but it had raised by an octave and ended on a squeak.

Suddenly, they paled, and Lantash murmured to Martouf, _"Oh, no, I had forgotten this part, although as horrible as it was, I do not know how I possibly could have done so."_ he paused, then added, "_I hope I do not beg to die this time._"

Martouf realized what Lantash was mumbling about as a wave of it hit him. Looking suddenly panicked, he gasped, "I believe we are about to be…very unwell," as he ran for the bathroom.

An image came to Daniel, and it was vivid. Approximately six hours after Kataya had conceived, the two of them had been heaving. Furling mates shared the morning sickness, the mood swings, the food cravings, everything but the actual carrying and the labor. The sharing of the labor was left up to the woman and, if she chose to, she could share that, too. At least he had never begged to die, as he had been told many did. It was an experience. Blocking out the sounds coming from the bathroom, he decided he might as well eat.

* * *

"Good morning, Gwennetha, it looks to be a beautiful day today," Valynara said cheerfully, as she noticed her bedmate's eyes pop open.

"Val?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you here? Where is Malek?"

"Well, let me see. I believe that Daniel is sleeping with Lantash, so Malek would be with Merdwin. Yes, I am sure that is what they decided last night."

"Lantash is sleeping with Daniel."

"Yes."

"And Malek is sleeping with my father?"

"Yes."

"And just where are Janet and my mother sleeping?"

"They are sleeping with Samantha."

"Samantha. And I am in bed with you. Why? Why are we all sleeping with different people than we began the night with?"

"Ah, now that is an interesting story. But though an extremely long one, I can make it very..." she stopped speaking as someone knocked on the door.

"That must be breakfast. I will return in a moment, _Caruswyn_."

Taking the tray of freshly baked and aromatic pastries, _Siesht'tat'mate_ and chocolate to the small table near the bed and setting it down, she turned back toward Gwennetha.

"Dear Universe, I feel awful. I am going to be quite unwell. Immediately."

"Oh, dear, I had not thought of that. I do hope Samantha's either does not happen or else does not happen quite so soon. Go throw up, _Amat Wyn_, and you will feel better, I assure you," she said to Gwennetha's back as the other woman raced for the bathroom.

Another complication to contend with. Moreover, no doubt Malek's response would prove to be interesting. She hoped Merdwin was not having trouble with him.

* * *

Malek sighed slightly in his sleep and slowly made his way toward consciousness. Rolling over, he threw his arm around his mate and pulled her back against him until she fit snugly against his abdomen. He thought she murmured incoherently and resisted slightly, but she often did that until she awoke and realized it was him.

Still more than half asleep himself, he paid no attention and curled around Gwennetha's back as he pressed his firmness against the rounded curve of her bottom where they lay spooned together. Curling even farther around her, he kissed the nape of her neck as he allowed his hand to begin a slow slide toward the apex of her thighs. He reached that jointure, his fingers reaching for her and…he froze, now wide-awake and afraid to do so much as breathe.

Dear Universe, what, _what_ had happened and who was in bed with him? The curve nestled against his abdomen was _not_ soft, the back of the neck he had kissed was not sweetly scented or silky, and his fingers were not wrapped around any body part that Gwennetha owned.

As realization hit him, he thrust out with his one unencumbered arm and jackknifing away from the body in the bed, he brought both feet up and planted them firmly in the interloper's back, forcibly ejecting the culprit who had stolen his Gwennetha and taken her place in his bed.

He heard the sound of a large body slamming into the floor, followed by a grunt of pain and a disgusted snort in a voice that he recognized immediately. "Stars of Fire, Malek, must you be so tempestuously violent? You did not even kick that wildly last night as I dragged you away from Gwennetha and brought you into this bed," he heard his father-in-law swear.

"In fact, once I managed to restrain you a little, you were very cooperative, gave me almost no trouble, and appeared to be enjoying yourself. Afterwards, once we had showered and eaten, you immediately went to sleep and slept all night. Daniel had much more trouble convincing Martouf and Lantash, so why the violence this morning?" Merdwin grumbled as he picked himself up off the floor and reached for his dressing gown. Picking up the other one that had been thrown carelessly across the chair back, he threw it to the man in the bed who watched him with both outrage and panic in his eyes.

Malek crouched in a defensive position on the bed, waiting for an attack. As he realized that there would not be one, he sat down abruptly, and stared wide-eyed at the man standing and looking at him with something that looked suspiciously like amusement behind the irritability.

What had happened? What type of people were these that were so casual about, well, about a father-in-law forcing himself on his son-in-law? And why couldn't he remember any of it? He was supposed to protect Devlin and Gwennetha. Dear Universe, what had happened to them?

_"Dear one, thinking calmly about this situation, do you really believe that what you are thinking happened, actually happened?"_ Devlin asked him, quietly. Sending him a soothing hug and support, he continued calmly, _"I really think that perhaps we are overreacting to an obviously odd set of circumstances. I suggest retreating to a safe place if you feel too vulnerable here, and then asking some questions. Since neither of us can remember the events that took place, I do not think we should panic yet."_

Drawing a calming breath, Malek replied_, "Of course, you are correct. I am being foolish beyond permission."_

Keeping a close eye on Merdwin, he grabbed their robe and backed slowly across the bed. Reaching the edge, he swung his feet to the floor and stood. They had on some type of clothing that appeared to be related to the Tau'ri '_boxer shorts'_, only they were full length, so at least they had remained clothed.

He looked wildly around the room, even as he tried fruitlessly to search his mind for memories of the night before. The last thing he remembered was making love to Gwennetha. At least, he thought that they had made love to her. However, if that was so, why had he just woken up with his arms around his father-in-law and his hand… he blanched and refused to let that thought go any farther. This was not good, not good at all.

"Malek, you can stop hunting frantically for a place to go. I am not going to attack you now, anymore than I did last night. Come, what is the matter with you? You know why you are here; I explained it to you last night."

"No, Merdwin, I do not remember why I am here, I do not remember being dragged from Gwennetha, and I do not remember anything that was _~ done ~_ to Devlin and I." Malek stated stiffly, his voice arctic.

"Ah, I see. Of course. It has been too many years since I experienced either the _Pher'ak'tel_ or the drugging affects of the _Lun'ak'mat_," Merdwin said, with a sigh.

He looked at him, frowning slightly, obviously thinking about their situation. "Malek," he asked quietly, "has Gwennetha explained anything about the Furling mating cycle, the _Lun'ak'mat_?"

"I do not believe so," Malek replied cautiously. "I can guess from your terminology, but to be safe, I will ask you to be plain. What is it?"

For a moment, Merdwin was shocked. He was very disappointed in Gwennetha, for not informing them. Well, no doubt, there would be some very rough waters ahead for the two of them. He would not blame Malek and Dev for becoming upset. On the other hand, while it was not what he would have expected of his daughter, he loved her, and she would need support during the coming upheaval. "It is the heat or mating cycle of the Furling. The female exudes a very potent drug, as well as pheromones, to ensure that she and her mate will carry through with the rather, ah, painful mating."

"Merdwin, last night was not the first time that Gwennetha and I have, um, been intimate. She has never done this before, and there has never been any pain involved. I am afraid I have no idea what you are talking about."

"That is because the pain only occurs under one very specific circumstance. It only happens when the female wishes to breed."

Malek stared at Merdwin, not comprehending what he was saying. "Breed," he stated, obviously not understanding.

"Yes, Furling women only come into heat when they wish to bear kittdren, er, children. Normally, they control when that happens. Unfortunately, last night was not normal; there were some extenuating circumstances, which threw Gwennetha into her heat cycle. Congratulations Malek, you and Dev are about to become fathers."

Malek stared blankly at him when he finished speaking. _"Breed,"_ he repeated, as if he could not quite understand the meaning of the word. _"Breed,_ as in a _child._ You are saying that Gwennetha is with child," he finally managed to say in a shocked voice. Through his shock, Malek was aware of a wave of excitement and intense joy coming from Devlin.

A knock on the door drew their attention and Merdwin went to answer it. He returned and placed a tray of food on a small table. Turing over the cups, he proceeded to pour out some '_Siesht'tat'mate_'. He offered a cup to Malek, as he stood staring blankly at him. For his part, Malek suddenly became aware of a very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach and Devlin talking to him urgently, _"We are going to be extremely unwell now, Malek; you must take us to the bathroom,"_ Devlin gasped vehemently and firmly, "_Now!_"

Merdwin watched them dash for the bathroom and sank down onto a chair, closing his eyes. He shuddered delicately, as the sounds from the bathroom sent him back in time to when Kataya had been carrying their kits. It had been a most distressing, as well as distressful, two months and the memories were as vivid today, as if it had just happened. Never had he ever wanted to experience that again.

He was a firm believer that the sharing of the emotions, physical discomfort and, if the female permitted it, as she had in his case, the pain of the delivery, were the reasons that Furlings rarely had more than one set of kits. How Kataya had cheerfully agreed to bear kittdren for him after having been pregnant with Daniel's kits and miscarrying them was a mystery to him. Then she had done it again with Lantash. Women, he decided, were the biggest mystery of the universe.

Sighing, he began to eat a light breakfast. He would have to finish talking to Malek and perhaps take him, Martouf, and Daniel to the meeting he knew he would have to have with Jacob Carter. The General would not be happy until he understood what had happened, and it would be up to Merdwin to explain it. Kataya and Valynara would discuss it with Samantha, Janet, and perhaps Gwennetha, although she should already know most of this. She had been there when Lantash and Kataya's kits were born.

He looked up as Malek came slowly out of the bathroom, his face ashen and his hands shaking. Not even the symbiote could override this sharing. The open wounds had infected them with the hormones from Gwennetha. They would work on him in the same way that they were no doubt working on her. One of them would have to travel to Avilion to get the herbal mixture that mitigated the nausea and vomiting. It would probably fall to him.

"Merdwin," Malek said quietly, "I believe you need to tell us exactly what happened last night. We seem to be, ah, injured in some rather odd places."

Nodding, he gestured to them to sit down, but after a look at the food and turning a shade paler, if that was even possible, they sat on the bed near to the bathroom. No doubt a wise precaution, Merdwin thought. Once Malek and Dev relaxed against the headboard of the bed, he said, "During the heat cycle the female becomes somewhat aggressive. Are you able to take care of it, Malek, or would you wish me to use the ribbon to heal you?"

"No, thank you, I believe I can take care of it, if we can stop heaving long enough. I cannot do it while we are being so ill. I hate it when Dev heaves," Malek said petulantly, "It gives me a headache. Why are we ill and why can I not control it, Merdwin?"

"You are sharing Gwennetha's pregnancy with her, Malek, you and Dev. The, ah, injuries she inflicted enable the hormones to be absorbed by you as well as mixing your blood and semen to ensure fertilization. It rarely fails to work. I am afraid that you cannot override it. We will get you something for it, though. Try to relax and heal yourself, while I go check on Gwennetha and the others, all right? Then I will be back to explain a lot of this."

"I promised Jacob I would explain the entire thing to him, so we will probably all meet together later this morning. However, it can wait until you are all feeling a little better. By doing it in a group, I can answer all of the questions at once. Lantash will no doubt remember much of this once the drug wears off, but Martouf will need it explained to him, as he was not blended with Lantash when he and Kataya had kits."

"Lantash and Martouf? I do not understand."

"It was Samantha coming into heat that threw Gwennetha into hers, Malek. Neither woman had any control over their cycle; they are too young to control it. I will explain it all later, I promise, but for now, rest and heal yourself, all right?"

"All right," Malek agreed, tiredly. "I will try if we can stay out of the facilities long enough for me to do so."

Looking at him worriedly, Merdwin asked, "Are you sure you would not rather I simply use my ribbon to heal you? It would be faster in the circumstances."

Malek shook his head and two bright spots of color on his cheeks stood out starkly against the paleness of the rest of his face.

"That will not be necessary, but thank you. I believe I would prefer to heal these particular wounds myself," Malek replied somewhat stiffly, embarrassed at the very thought of having someone heal _that_ portion of his anatomy, an emotion he did not believe he would ever feel when it came to the body. Devlin's emotions must be rubbing off on him, he thought sourly.

Devlin took control while Malek did his best to heal the scratches that crisscrossed the more intimate parts of their anatomy. They had also discovered bites on their chest, shoulders, and neck, as well as scratches that ran from their thighs to their shoulders. Sitting, he realized, was not pleasant right now. "Is Gwennetha ill also, Merdwin?" Dev asked, his curiosity overriding his nausea for the moment.

"Yes, she is. You are ill from the same hormones and chemicals that are in her blood."

"Dear Universe, Merdwin, how do they bear this? I feel as if I could simply pass out at any time and be extremely ill at any moment. I had no idea that being with child was like this. It is decidedly unpleasant," he murmured, as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the headboard.

"I know. I am well aware, for I shared the same thing with Kataya when she carried Gwennetha and Merdwain. I have always been fervently grateful that we did not have to share the carrying of the kits," Merdwin said thoughtfully.

Dev stared at him for a moment, absorbing that thought, before moaning, jumping off the bed, and heading back to the bathroom.

Raising his voice so Devlin and Malek could hear him over the retching, he said, "I will return as quickly as I can. I am afraid there is very little I can do for either of you at the moment, so I may as well go to Avilion and pick up the herbs needed to mitigate the nausea." He stood and dressed, preparing to leave and obtain the needed supplies.

Since they had just showered a few hours ago, he passed on another one and prepared to head out, when he heard Devlin say to him, "Please, Merdwin, if there is something that will help with this, by all means, do go and get it as soon as possible."

"I will and I will have Valynara or Kataya check on you."

"Thank you, and Merdwin?"

"Yes?"

"Would you please remove the food from the room and open the window wider? I think that might help," Devlin said.

Merdwin laughed softly and did as he requested. He had just returned from removing the offending foodstuffs when the door opened and his daughter entered, looking quite cheerful, if a little pale. Her eyes were shining and her face almost glowed with her happiness. "How are you this morning, Papa?" she asked, as she rose on tiptoe to give him a kiss.

"I am fine, thank you, _Carusawyn_. You are looking very lovely this morning. As well as very happy," he said softly, taking in the sparkle in her beautiful eyes. "I am going to go to Avilion to pick up the herbs for the nausea."

"Oh, Valynara has already taken care of that. She should be back before long. How are Malek and Dev?" she asked, and then realized that she could hear how they were. "Oh, dear, they sound quite unwell. Mine comes and goes." She smiled brightly as she headed for the bathroom to help her mate through this unpleasant side effect of being with kits.

Merdwin shook his head. She was so much like her mother sometimes that it was scary. Kataya had been much the same. Ill one moment and glowing the next. He, on the other hand, had been like Malek and Dev. He felt as if he had heaved almost constantly from the moment she conceived. He had drunk gallons of that disgusting tea, but at least it had helped.

He smiled as Janet knocked on the doorframe of the door that his daughter had left open. "Jacob is downstairs, and Val is back with the herbs," she announced, as she entered the room and proceeded to kiss him good morning. When they came up for air, she continued, "She's making some tea for them and…" she stopped speaking as Gwennetha walked slowly out of the bathroom, looking desolate and stunned.

"Papa? Papa, he called me a vicious, savage animal and would not let me touch him or come anywhere near him, as if I was going to attack him. I do not understand," she whispered, before she ran from the room. They heard her calling for her mother, and they heard Kataya answer her. Merdwin shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. He rarely had headaches, but he felt as if he could have one today. Meditation, he really needed to do some deep meditation.

"How could he say that to her?" Janet gasped, appalled and horrified.

"Quite easily, Janet. Gwennetha did not explain the _Lun'ak'mat_ to them before they bonded. She should have, of course, and I think under normal circumstances, she would have. With everything that was going on, I feel sure it simply slipped her mind. I doubt she deliberately kept the information from him, but the result will be the same. He will blame her and be extremely angry, some of which will be justified."

"In some ways, the Furling become part cat during the _Lun'ak'mat_." He gave a twisted smile, saying, "I am Furling myself and understood the entire event, but as I heaved what felt like the very lining of my stomach, I accused Kataya of much the same thing, though she did not have to do to me what they must do to a non-Furling, to ensure conception. I refused to let her near me for a week, until Artereos took me aside and pointed out that it was our nature, and that in order to conceive, she had no choice but to release the hormones that caused all of my suffering and that she, also, was quite unwell. And, that we had both agreed to have kits."

"Of course, that is not true in Dev and Malek's or in Martouf and Lantash's case. However, they agreed to love and cherish these women forever, so they must accept them as they are. Malek and Dev will come around, _Amat Wyn_, I assure you. But, in their case it may take time, and I am afraid that it is going to be a very painful time for both Gwennetha and them."

"Also, I believe it is a response similar to the one where Kataya called me every foul and derogatory name she could think of as she labored and gave birth. I have no doubt that Gwennetha will do the same. Life is never dull for us is it, _Coeurawyn_?"

"Merdwin, I, um, I have a question," Janet said slowly.

"No, Janet, it will not be this way with us. The human female does not need to be induced to release her eggs. She does it every month, unless she is using something to prevent it. I promise to give you a thorough description of the physical changes that take place for us, but later. I am afraid that I must help Malek and Devlin through this, much as I would prefer to stay with you."

Laughing softly, Janet shook her head at his ability to read her so well and said, "I'll go back and check on the tea, Gwennetha, and Sam. I'll also do whatever I can to help Gwennetha cope with this. I understand how it could have slipped her mind. She did have other very important things to occupy her and to think about at the time."

Sighing and kissing her swiftly, he agreed, and then turned to go into the bathroom to see if he could help Malek and Dev. No doubt, Kataya would explain to Gwennetha that it was a weakness in the male that caused this response and not to take it to heart. She would tell her that Dev and Malek did not mean it, they were simply quite ill and still in shock at the turn of events.

She would also explain that she should have told them before they agreed to be her mates. He was sure that Kataya would tell her that, and that she should expect them to be quite angry. Especially Malek. Malek would be furious, for to a Tok'Ra, to be out of control in that way would be a terrible blow to their pride. There was also the fact that Malek would feel he had failed to protect Devlin. And then, the begging to die. Oh, yes, it would take time for Malek to adjust.

No doubt, Kataya would also tell her that Gwennetha's own father had been even more derogatory to her when he was first ill with the '_mal'et'matk,_' calling her an insatiable, devious, vicious, savage beast that delighted in making him ill. Men, she would tell her, did not always understand these things quickly.

Dev and Malek were hurting and confused, and like any injured animal, they had turned on the one that they perceived as their tormentor. Moreover, she would do the same to them during the birth. No doubt, they would be very sorry later. Now, come, calm down, _Coeurawyn_. Merdwin could _almost _hear Kataya's voice as she explained and comforted their daughter. She would soothe her and he would soothe the other half.

Perhaps he could just escape back to Avilion or Earth? No, that would not help, he knew. Sighing, he knelt down beside Malek and Dev as they lay on the bathroom floor moaning.

Malek's hand shot out and grabbed him with what, under the circumstances, was amazing strength. Staring intently at him, he gasped, his agonized voice impassioned and fervent, "You will kill me now. You will kill me quickly and cleanly, and put me out of this excruciating misery as you would any other suffering animal. You will not allow me to suffer and die this slow, painful, lingering death Please, Merdwin; you must promise me you will kill me."

Merdwin suspected that this was the only time Malek had ever begged for anything. His natural arrogance would have prevented him from it; but then, he had never before experienced _mal'et'matk_. He remembered the sensation well and he had reacted exactly the same. The one and only time Merdwin had ever begged death to claim him had been during the _mal'et'matk_. How the mighty were fallen, he thought whimsically.

"Although most of us do so during this time, wishing you were dead and begging for it will not make it go away, _Caruswyn_," he said soothingly. "Valynara has returned with the herbs and you will soon have some tea that will soothe the nausea. It does help, Malek, I assure you, for I was quite as ill as you are. I am afraid that the chemicals and hormones that Kataya and Gwennetha carry and you absorbed, are very potent. Lantash, too, was extremely ill when Kataya carried Lanwin and Taesha."

"It either does not affect them as badly, or they are better at bearing it. Since Kataya heaved as hard as I did, I suspect it is the latter, which is a lowering thought. Nor did she ever beg to die as I did," he continued calmly, reassuring the proud man and his even prouder symbiote that they were not the first to so lower themselves.

Malek did not answer. He was too busy trying to part with the lining of his stomach.

TBC


	10. Death as a Viable Alternative 10 DOTQ

**_Chapter Ten Summary: _**_The "guys" are suffering from the aftereffects of the Furling mating cycle, the Lun'ak'mat. Needless to say, none of them are particularly happy campers. In fact, Martouf refuses to speak to Sam. However, Lantash is very supportive of her and assures her that he holds no grudge. Malek is actively hostile to Gwennetha, but Devlin is saying nothing. Gwennetha and Kataya discuss solutions to the problems facing them, and none of those are very appealing. In fact, most of them call for rather unpleasant consequences for Gwennetha. Jacob and Merdwin discuss the situation and agree that there are some rough patches ahead for them all. _

**_Amat Wyn – _**_My Love_

**_Carusawyn – _**_My Dear One; My Dearest One_

**_Coeurawyn – _**_My Heart – a Term of Endearment_

**_Prinekh - _**_Joined life. It is another More Intimate Name for a Lifemate used by Both Host and Symbiote. Mer Prinekh is Often Used as a Term of Endearment and Affection. _

**_Pher'ak'tel_**_ - The Essence Given off by the Female during the Furling Mating Ritual. Only used for Conception _

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ - __Furling Mating Cycle _

**_Mal'et'matk - _**_Morning Sickness; In the Furling, the Morning Sickness is Shared by the Male, Along with the Food Cravings, and Emotions. It also Affects Non-Furling Mates_

**_"Italics"_**_ – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Ten_**

**_Death as a Viable Alternative_**

* * *

_"Lantash, will we die soon?"_ Martouf moaned, as he once again found himself worshiping the facilities bowl. _"Please, tell me that we will die soon. Tell me that we will die within minutes, because if you do not, I will take the situation into my own hands, and take our lives myself. I swear to you that I will. I cannot and will not allow us to be tortured in this way,"_ He declared, almost fiercely, before dropping his voice to a more plaintive tone. _"We must make it stop, Lantash, please. We are so weak we can barely lift our head,"_ he lamented mournfully, his voice unsteady.

_"Calm yourself, Martouf. We will recover soon, I promise you. Daniel assured me that Valynara has returned with the herbs for the tea, and from what I can remember it does help. The others are having, um, a meal, and she gave instructions for them to deliver the tea to as soon as it was ready. It has to steep for some time first. She has taken everyone who is well out for the day; I heard Daniel telling us so."_

_"We are going to die. That is the only thing that will help. Help is what I need; it is what we need. We need help to put us out of our misery. I will find Daniel and get a zat'nik'tel from him. Set on overload, it will kill us quickly and painlessly, compared to this. If I cannot do that, then I will throw us from the balcony. I will find a way to end this,"_ Martouf declared vehemently.

_"Martouf, the tea will help. Although you think we wish to die, and I am afraid that I, too, would find it preferable, we do not wish to leave Samantha alone to bear this."_

_"Samantha,"_ Martouf spat venomously, _"is the reason we are worshiping this disgusting bowl. She is the reason that we are so ill we cannot go beyond the doorway of this room, and are spending our time lying on the floor next to the same disgusting bowl that we are showing so much devotion. She is the animal that tore our body into shreds and infected us with chemicals and substances that are the direct cause of our current and future sufferings."_

He paused for a moment, thinking and picking up thoughts from Lantash. _"And, furthermore, you are attempting to lie to me, Lantash. The tea may help, but only minimally, does it not?"_ he queried peevishly.

_"No, it will help as long as we use it in the way that it must be used. I promise you, Martouf, truly,"_ Lantash replied, before allowing a very small sound of distress to escape him.

Martouf at once realized what it meant. _"Dear universe, no, not again, please, please, not again,"_ he keened.

It was a despairing cry that tore at Lantash's heart, but he, too, was whimpering. He added his own "_no, not again"_ to the lament.

Hearing the answering wail from Lantash, Martouf knew he was correct in thinking that another wave of nausea was making its way through their shared body.

Not only that, but as usual, when Martouf was ill in this way before Lantash could control it, it gave Lantash a brutal headache…which he was _so thoughtfully_ sharing with Martouf.

_"Must you share everything with me, Lantash?" _ Martouf snapped querulously, as the pain in his head intensified. _"Stars of Fire, will this never end? Will no one come to our aid and kill us? Death is the only viable alternative,"_ Martouf repined in an agonized voice, as he once again attempted to heave, an impossibility, for there was nothing left to disgorge.

"Here you go, Martouf," Daniel said cheerfully, as he entered the bathroom carrying a cup of tea and a carafe. He kept up a steady flow of conversation as he looked for a good place to put the carafe and grabbed a wet cloth for their face. Then he began to try to find a good place for the cup as he moved in behind them and got comfortable. "Try this and see if it will help the retching. If it doesn't, then Kataya said they'd render you, Lantash, Dev, and Malek unconscious for a while, so that you will get some rest. I guess that sometimes doing that helps stop the reflex."

"You know how it is, you gag and then you try to puke and sometimes it just gets to be a kind of vicious circle. You heave, trying to throw up and your stomach contracts and convulses. Then, even though there isn't anything there, you still try to vomit and it just keeps up the contractions even though you really shouldn't be sick. You can't upchuck if there's nothing there."

"Janet's concerned that you and Malek are going to dehydrate. Although you really aren't barfing anything up now, are you? Not a thing left to spew. Dry heaves can be really uncomfortable though. Painful even, and of course, as long as you are trying to heave your guts up, it keeps that vicious cycle going. Contraction, gag, heave, contraction, retch, heave, etc." Daniel chattered on, oblivious to the discomfort his words were bringing to his friends as he tried to settle himself more comfortably behind them.

"Daniel, must you be so _graphic?_ How can one language possibly have so many different and _realistic_ _words_ for something so _horrendously _uncomfortable and _utterly disgusting_?" Lantash came forward to complain. "Where is the tea? This bout of nausea seems to have passed for the moment. How is Samantha?" Lantash inquired from his position on the floor.

"Oh, Sam's fine. The tea seems to have helped her quite a bit. She gets nauseated every so often, but it doesn't seem to last. Gwennetha's the same way. You and Malek, though, appear to be quite ill. I was the same way and so was Merdwin. Kataya says that from what she was told, her father was very ill when her mother was pregnant. Evidently, they carry a very potent form of the chemicals and hormones that cause the nausea. Since they share a mother, evidently Sam carries them, too."

"What a _wonderful trait_ to have inherited," Martouf said sarcastically. "Why could she not have simply inherited her eye color or her height?" he asked bitterly, as he raised himself on one elbow.

"Kataya inherited eye color and her chemical and hormonal traits. Sam inherited her hair color and height as well as the other things." Daniel said softly, as he first tried kneeling and then finally decided to sit on the floor behind Martouf. He helped him to sit up. Leaning back against him, Martouf took the cup of tea from Daniel. Taking a large mouthful, he swallowed it before leaning forward to bring it right back up.

"Ah, sorry, I guess I should have warned you. You need to sip it, slowly. Very, very, slowly." He used the cloth to wipe their face and neck as they moaned again. He thought he heard one of them mumble something about the only viable alternative was death, but he couldn't be sure.

"Daniel, this is the most vile, disgusting tasting tea that I have ever had. I cannot possibly drink this. The taste alone made me bring it back up," Martouf wailed as the retching finally abated enough for him to talk.

_"Dear one, please; Daniel is correct. You must sip it slowly. I will deaden your taste as much as I can. Please, Martouf, try again. It really will help to mitigate the nausea, I promise you," _Lantash pleaded softly with his mate. If only there was something he could do to at least lessen the nausea for his Prinekh he would, but unfortunately, not even a symbiote could reverse the effects of the hormones and chemicals with which their mate blessed them.

Leaning back wearily as the nausea passed once more, he allowed his head to fall back onto Daniel's chest. Martouf closed his eyes for a moment as his arm went around Daniel and held him tightly, drawing comfort from his solid warmth and caring. Daniel held him tightly in return, silently giving support and understanding.

This man had been a good friend to them, and still he was here for them, caring for them, supporting them, physically as well as mentally, through this most abominable and revolting situation. He held Martouf's head, wiped his forehead and his mouth, and supported him as he emptied his stomach time after time. How he managed to both support and soothe them was beyond them, but they would be eternally grateful to him for his care of them. He felt tears prick the back of his eyes and became aware of the same feelings of intense love for Daniel and his kindness coming from Lantash. How odd that they were so overwhelming.

Opening his eyes again, he looked up into the sympathetic eyes of his brother and sighed. Then he sipped. When it stayed down, he sipped again. He realized that Lantash was allowing the taste to come through a little at a time. It did not seem to taste quite so bad.

Lantash released a silent sigh of relief. If he could bring Martouf to the point of drinking the tea as often as needed, then they would be able to begin functioning again soon. It would just take a few days to allow their body to become accustomed to the invasion of these foreign substances. Then, as he knew from prior experience, it would slowly begin to assimilate and control them and within a couple of months this would all be over. _"It grows on one, Beloved. That is why you must sip it at first. Once you become used to it, you will have it near always, and sip it almost constantly. It is the only way that it will work. I am afraid that we will drink gallons of it over the next two months."_

_"Months? Are you telling me that this lasts for months?" _Martouf's response was whispered and it was very easy to discern that he was appalled at the prospect of being in this condition for that long.

Lantash did his best to reassure Martouf, while still being truthful, murmuring, _"Yes, I am afraid so; however, it will decrease in both frequency and violence as time passes." _Lantash sighed and decided he might as well tell him the rest of the bad news, _"You will also wish to know that as most teas do, this also works on the, ah, system. It is a diuretic. So, I am afraid we will still be spending more time in this room than we normally would, but at least it will not be for such an unpleasant occupation. Most of the time, anyway,"_ he admitted, still being as truthful as he could.

_"I still think that death may be the preferable and viable alternative," _Martouf moaned one more time.

_"I know. And I agree with you, but they will not allow us to die, no matter how much we beg to, so it does no good to ask at all. I know, for I begged to die, when Kataya was carrying our children. No one would allow me near any instrument that could be used in that way until it began to abate."_

_"Truly, Lantash? I cannot imagine you begging to die," _Martouf's disbelief was apparent in his tone.

Lantash shared some rather vivid memories that he had of him and Dominic grabbing Merdwin in a convulsive grasp and begging him to allow them to die, as well as one of them doing the same of Artereos. Martouf whimpered, almost wailing, as he realized how very ill Lantash had to have been to act in that way. _"It is all right, dear one, there is no worse to come. We are every bit as ill as Dominic and I were, and the only reason that I have not voiced my wish for someone to put us out of our misery is because you have been doing it for us so well. I am aware that they will not allow us to end the misery no matter how much we beg."_ Martouf moaned louder at the final and total destruction of his last faint spark of hope.

"Martouf? Isn't the tea making it better?" Daniel asked softly, as he heard Martouf first whimpering and then moaning.

"Yes, I believe it is, Daniel, thank you. I was reacting to something that Lantash showed me. I was unaware that I had done so aloud. The truth is that I believe that I am feeling slightly less nauseated. At least it appears to be lessening. Does the tea work that quickly?" Martouf questioned him, as he considered the idea that there was, after all, one very small spark of hope still there; perhaps, it was not all gone.

Daniel looked at him closely and then obviously deciding that he was telling the truth, he told him, "Yes, actually, it does, and if you drink it as you should, it will keep all except the worst waves of nausea under control. Even those won't be quite as bad as what you have experienced so far." Standing so that he could help them get up, Daniel bent down and assisted them to their feet, as he said, "All right, then, come on and I'll help you to lie down, now that your stomach has settled some. Sam wants to see you, Martouf."

"I have no wish whatsoever to see her, Daniel. You will keep her away from me. She is barbaric, sadistic, insatiable, and vicious. I have no wish to see her ever again," Martouf stated firmly, but with his voice beginning to quiver near the end of his statement. What was the matter with him now? He – he felt as if he was going to cry just as he had moments ago when contemplating Daniel's many kindnesses. Dear Universe, he felt as if he could break down and bawl like a small child!

Lantash attempted to suppress his own overpowering waves of emotion and informed him, _"Fluctuating hormones, Martouf. You will find that you tend to cry very easily, until they settle down somewhat, and I will be little or no help, for your emotions are also mine. If I could cry, my beloved, believe me I would be crying with you," _he stroked him gently, attempting to soothe him.

_"Is there anything else she has done to me that I should know? How many more nasty little surprises are waiting for me? How much more of my life and control of it is she going to take?"_ Martouf asked furiously.

_"Yes, there is something else, but I will tell you later,"_ Lantash said quietly.

As a horrible vision entered his mind at Lantash's comment, he asked fearfully, _"Lantash, we will not – not change body shape, will we? Please, please tell me that my body is going to remain unchanged,"_ Martouf, begged him, his voice no more than a whisper as his rage and fear entwined once again bringing him near to tears.

_"No, it will not change. It is nothing like that. Calm down, dear one, it is nothing very bad at all," _Lantash kept his voice as soothing as possible as he responded to Martouf's obvious fear and anger.

_"Then what is it? I must know what else she has done to us,"_ Martouf insisted, his normally easy-going personality morphing into his stubborn one, rarely seen but always lurking there.

Lantash sighed, before replying, _"We will soon begin to experience food cravings. Voracious desires for specific foods. It…can be very disturbing."_

_"Food? That is all? I see nothing disturbing about that," _Martouf's reply was redolent with relief.

_"Yes. Food. And it can be worse than you think when your host craves something he is allergic to. Never mind that now though, I will tell you all about it later, I promise," he assured him. _

Lantash sighed tiredly before returning to the subject of Samantha and continuing, _"You can remain quiescent and I will see Samantha. Not only did I promise to love her for eternity, I also promised her that nothing would change the love I have for her and this has not changed my mind. So, if you wish to break our vows, you may do so. I will not,"_ Lantash stated firmly, as he abruptly took control of their shared body and ruthlessly suppressed the emotions boiling just under the surface.

What he told Martouf was true. He was sharing the emotional storms, but he could suppress at least some of them for a short time, and he would do that. He would not allow Martouf's anger or perhaps overly hasty words, to hurt Samantha. He would handle being with her, since Martouf could not, for he would not hurt her by refusing to see or talk to her. This was not her fault, not any of it, and he refused to blame her for it. They would cope. Somehow.

"I wish to see her, Daniel. I can go to her, though," Lantash murmured to Daniel, while he scolded Martouf internally.

_"Nor will I allow you to hurt our Samantha's feelings by being cruel to her. She did not do this on purpose. Kataya assured us that she had no control over it and did not even know what was happening. You go sulk. I will take care of this," _Lantash told him, his voice stern and implacable.

_"Fine. Go ahead,"_ Martouf, said, still feeling put upon, disgruntled, and deceived.

"No, you are to lie down, rest, and drink tea. You need to put fluids back into your bodies, and if you don't, Janet will be starting IV's. Trust me on this," Daniel assured him.

Smiling slightly, as he rolled over onto his side, he answered, "I will not argue, Daniel. I feel very weak. It is an unsettling feeling. We are rarely ill, for as you know, we can cure almost any disease. I believe that makes this even harder to bear, as we do not know how to cope with being ill."

"I know, and I remember what it is like."

Martouf came forward, and frowned, "You have said that twice, Daniel, but I did not think that you and Kataya had children."

"We don't," Daniel said, softly. "Kataya lost the kits that she was carrying because she was protecting me. You could say that I caused the loss of our kits, if you really wanted to get technical. I didn't have the skills to defend her, so she lost the only set of kits that we'll ever have."

"I had forgotten. I am sorry, Daniel; I remember now. Samantha told me after the first mind link that they did. She said that it was not your fault, and that Kataya can have others. You will have more, Daniel."

"No, Martouf, there will be no kits for us," Daniel said, as he left the room.

_"Why is Daniel so adamant, Lantash? I do not understand. Do you think it is because he will not again go through this? I cannot say I blame him for that, but surely, the Furling mating cycle is not upsetting for him? I mean, he is Furling as well as Tau'ri." _Martouf was clearly confused by Daniel's attitude toward having children.

_"No, I do not believe this had anything to do with his answer. He was one of the few who is known not to have asked to die. I remember Kataya telling me that, and Merdwin, also, admitted that fact when Dominic and I were begging death to claim us. So, I do not know why he is so adamant, Martouf, and he obviously does not wish to discuss it," _Lantash said, as he once again took control back as Sam came through the door.

"Lantash, I'm so sorry," Sam said, as she knelt by the bed. "Is Martouf all right?" She asked, realizing immediately that of the two of them, Martouf would have the most trouble accepting the incident.

"He will be in time, Samantha, I promise you. He is somewhat upset at the moment, but I assure you it is a normal reaction. It is just such a shock to him, _Amat Wyn_, and the emotional upheaval your hormones are causing is very difficult for him to understand as well. I myself would no doubt be struggling with this, if I had not lived through it before. It seems," he smiled wryly, "that the male is truly the weaker of the sexes when it comes to childbirth, my love."

"I can't blame him, Lantash. I didn't know and Kataya didn't either. She assumed that I would continue in my Tau'ri cycles, and I never thought about it at all, mainly because I didn't know. I'm really, really, sorry. If I could take the last twenty-four hours back, I would."

"I would not, my Samantha. Do you realize that although you are pale, there is a luminescent quality to you? You are glowing, my love. You are – you are happy about the kits, are you not?" Lantash asked, as he gently stroked her arm and then her cheek.

Sam smiled at him and a slight flush rose in her cheeks. "Yes. Yes, I am. I'm sorry for the way it happened. I'd rather you both had been fully informed beforehand about what would happen and had consented, but now that it's a fact that can't be changed, well, yes. Yes, I'm thrilled."

"I promised you that there would be no children, Samantha, because of the pain of the birth. I had forgotten this part, although I do not know how I could have. I would understand if you did not wish to go through with it. I know you said that you wanted children and that was why you would not blend right away, but I still feel bound by my promise to you. I would have waited for you to truly decide you wanted to do this."

"I couldn't be happier about the outcome, Lantash. I was very serious when I said that I wanted children with you. True, I hadn't planned on it happening this way, but now that it's happened, I want them very, very, much."

"I am glad, _Coeurawyn_," Lantash replied. So am I, I assure you.

"I just wish Martouf wasn't disgusted and angered by it all. I really wouldn't have done those things to you if I'd been able to control it. I'm really sorry," Sam whispered, as tears filled her eyes and slipped silently down her cheeks.

Pulling her up onto the bed and into his arms, Lantash settled her beside him on the bed, and said quietly, "He will get over it, Samantha. In fact, I think that once he remembers everything, he will remember the beautiful parts as well as the more, ah, aggressive parts, and he will realize how much love was between the three of us during our mating. He is simply still in shock, my love. Do not forget that he had no prior knowledge of the Furling mating cycle, so he is still somewhat…" Lantash's voice faded as he realized that he could not say what Martouf was feeling.

"Appalled? Disgusted? Repulsed? I understand, Lantash. I was shocked myself, you know. I mean, once I understood why it happened, I could understand it, but the fact that I gave him, or you, no choice is what bothers me. If I could have explained it to him and had his consent, that would have been different. I feel as if I raped you, both of you, and it's a terrible feeling, Lantash. It's as if I used you against your will. I feel awful about it and every time I think of it, I become really sick to my stomach. It's taking a lot of the joy of the result away, I assure you."

"Samantha, look at me," Lantash said, as he forced her to look up from where she was staring at the blanket on the bed. When he had her full attention and she was looking him squarely in the eyes, he said, "We wanted you, Samantha. It was not rape. I admit the drugging effect caused us to desire to mate more often than we would have, but that did not stop us from enjoying it, _Carusawyn_."

"In fact, from what I have been able to remember, and I believe that I remember almost all of it now, it was a very erotic night. It is a night that I will remember fondly forever. Moreover, if you do not believe me, then you may ask Martouf, once he stops sulking, and he will tell you that the night that Lanwin and Taesha were conceived is another memory I will always hold very dear. The Furling mating cycle is somewhat barbaric and pagan, but even so, it is a very erotic and fulfilling mating. Perhaps it is so erotic because it is so uncivilized. It is lusty, wild, and completely unencumbered by civilized behavior. I think that makes it even more enticing and bewitching."

Hugging him tightly, she said, "I love you so much. I hope they have some of your traits, Lantash, as Lanwin and Taesha do. I'd love to see my children growing up to remind me of you, as well as Martouf. I know how much it meant to Kataya that she could look at them and see both you and Dominic. It'll be the same for me. I just hope that Martouf forgives me before they're grown," she sighed sadly, tears once again finding their way slowly down her cheeks.

Sam felt the change in his body before he spoke. "There is nothing to forgive, my Samantha," Martouf said, as he gently wiped the tears from her face. "I am a fool and an idiot for blaming you for something that you could do nothing about. No, even more than that, I am wrong because I love you, and I promised to love you for eternity, to be there for you, and to love and accept you. I did not do that, and it was very wrong of me."

"And, Lantash is correct. In many ways, I will never forget the experience. I have to admit that what he said is the truth. It was erotic, passionate, and in some ways, liberating. We made love on a very elemental level, where we each both gave and took what we wanted and needed. I will go through it as many times as you wish, Samantha, and give you as many children as you want. Please forgive me for acting like a child myself," he said, remorse evident in his voice. He had been a childish idiot. He loved this woman more than his own life. She was his eternal mate, his wife. He would not fail her again. At least, he would try not to.

Sam smiled at him and kissed him softly, before he jerked away from her and quickly sat upright. "That is, if we survive this time," he groused, as he raced for the bathroom.

Sam sat up, poured herself a cup of tea, and sipped it until she felt her nausea leaving. Then listening and realizing that he was no longer heaving as much as he had been, she poured him a warm cup of tea from the carafe and headed to the bathroom.

He really had to learn to keep sipping this stuff, she thought, as she sipped a little more of it herself. Kneeling beside him, she offered him the cup.

Taking it in a shaking hand, he moaned again and took a sip. It was not the most pleasant tea that he had ever had, but its medicinal value made it wonderful.

* * *

Kataya sat with her daughter while she sobbed as if her heart was breaking. She had been afraid of this happening, but she could do nothing to avert it. The damage was done, and now they were doing their best to control it. Unfortunately, for the moment all they could do was listen. Eventually, there would be more constructive things to do, but the time for that had not arrived yet.

"How could he call me those things? I thought he loved me. He promised to love me forever, for eternity. My mother, I do not understand."

"The male does not always understand these things. I doubt that he expected the _Mal'et'matk_ to be so, um, unpleasant. Malek may even have believed that he could override it, so they would not experience it at all. Tok'Ra are rarely ill, Gwennetha, much like us, and it _is_ a very debilitating condition."

"Momma," Gwennetha bit her lip until it bled to stop it from trembling and then confessed, "He did not know. I – I forgot all about it when he asked me to become his mate. It never even occurred to me that I should explain it. Momma, he is so very angry."

"Oh, Gwennetha, how could you not?" Kataya sighed, disappointed in her daughter, but she could understand how it had happened. So much had been happening then. The battle with Morgasha was fast approaching, finding her Soulmate at last, almost killing him in a hot tub. Explaining how, once they were bonded, it became an eternal bond, for they would be reborn as Furling, as her mates, and that only at death could they choose to change that. They had been together for such a short time, and yet Devlin and Malek knew so little of the Furling. There was so much that she needed to explain to them. She could not truly blame Gwennetha for forgetting it.

Yes, she could see how the _Lun'ak'mat_ had slipped her mind with everything else, and she did remember to explain the rebirth. In the normal course of events, with a Furling as the chosen mate, it would not have needed to be brought up at all. Gwennetha would have no more thought to explain the _Lun'ak'mat_ than she would think to explain how to sleep or eat. It was simply a fact of life for the Furling. Unfortunately, it was not a fact of Devlin and Malek's life. Until now, that is.

"Normally, I would tell you to pay no attention to Dev and Malek, for they did not mean it; they are simply quite ill and still in shock at the turn of events. However, while I still believe that this is partly true, you have the added disadvantage that they were totally unprepared for this."

"You should have explained the _Lun'ak'mat_ before they agreed to be your mate, so you must expect them to be quite angry, _Amat Wyn_." Looking at her sadly, she continued, "Especially Malek, for in addition to everything else, Gwennetha, Malek will feel that he failed in his duty to protect Devlin. Moreover, he will resent that he would have to protect him against you, of all beings. It will be a very difficult situation. His pride will be hurt as well. Malek will be furious, for to a Tok'Ra, to be out of control in this way will be a terrible blow to his pride. When you add to the list that he will, no doubt, beg to die, I am afraid that you must expect it to be quite some time before he can bring himself to forgive you."

"However," she continued briskly, as Merdwin had known she would, "your own father was even more derogatory to me when he was first ill with the _Mal'et'matk_. He called me an insatiable, devious, vicious, savage, beast that delighted in making him ill. Men are sometimes like small children, and small children are not patient when they are ill. In fact, they are often quite cranky and querulous. In my experience, men are very much the same."

"Dev and Malek are hurting and confused and like any injured animal they have turned on the one they perceive as their tormentor. Unfortunately, you are in that position."

"On a cheerier note, you will do the same during labor, for you will no doubt call them every derogatory name you can think of for planting within you the seeds that grew so large that they could not possibly leave your body without tearing you in half."

"Gwennetha, even though you are somewhat at fault for not preparing them, I do not doubt that, in time, they will forgive you. They do love you dearly and you know that. They have simply forgotten it for the moment because of the trauma. You must be patient. No doubt, they will be very sorry later. Now, come, calm down, _Coeurawyn_." Kataya said softly, as she rubbed her daughter's back and allowed her to cry. It almost broke her own heart to hear her daughter's heart breaking, but there was nothing she could do short of knocking Malek upside his head, and she doubted even that would get his attention right now.

"Gwennetha," she said solemnly, as her daughter's crying quieted, "you do realize, that if Malek and Devlin cannot bring themselves to forgive you, the all will grant them the release from their vows. Even the Soulmate can be released when there has been deception, whether intentional or not. Did you explain that to them, too?"

Gwennetha's lips trembled again. "No, I explained that it could be broken after death, before the rebirth. So there is another deception on my part," she said bitterly. "I do not deserve them, my mother, and I know what I must do. I will petition the all to restore to them their soul-threads and return mine to me."

"Do nothing yet, Gwennetha, and do not discuss that with them, under any circumstances. Understand?" Kataya said sternly.

Gwennetha looked at her mother intently and then smiled sadly. "You believe that they will change their minds. They will not. To Malek, I am no more than a vicious animal, who wishes to harm him and Devlin. I cannot fight that attitude, nor do I believe that I wish to. In truth, mother, I wonder if their love was truly as strong as they vowed to me that it was. They promised me unwavering faith and part of that is trust that I would never _intentionally_ hurt them. You know this as well as I. Therefore, while it is true that I have broken my vows to them through deceit, they have broken their vows of faith to me. It was all I asked of them, so, while it is true that I should have explained, I believe that if they truly loved me, they would forgive me."

"Exactly, my love. However, even love occasionally takes time. Your father would not speak to me for a week other than to call me names and moan loudly to anyone who would listen about what I had done to him. Moreover, Gwennetha, he is Furling and inflicted the pain and bleeding on us himself with the spines on his male member. In addition, even though ours was a joint decision to have kits, in his mind, they were my chemicals and hormones that made him ill, therefore, it was all my fault. So do not give in so easily, and do not assume they will not forgive you. It is not yet even one day. Your father will mentor them, so do not feel so depressed. It may all work out in the end. In fact, I am sure it will."

"Now, I suggest you lie down for a while and rest. Keep the tea nearby and sip it often. While you will be ill on and off, if you sip it as often as possible, it will help. I really believe that part of the reason Merdwin suffered so much is because he did not remember to sip his tea. Once he learned that it did help and began to keep it by him all the time, he was not nearly so ill, even though he was nauseated often. Still, he no longer heaved so much."

Picturing her proud father begging to die and heaving into a bowl brought a slight smile to Gwennetha's lips. If he could survive that, surely Malek and Devlin could. She was going to miss them, though, while she waited for them to realize that they still loved her. If they ever did.

After settling her daughter, Kataya went in search of Merdwin. She had explained in more detail to Janet this morning about the spines on the Furling male's member and the Furling mating ritual. Needless to say, Janet had been appalled, but she had finally realized that although human in form, the Furling were a different species, and they had evolved in their own way. They certainly were akin to the cats of their world, as Merdwin had explained. They were simply more akin than she had realized. It didn't change her love for Merdwin, but it certainly brought home the fact that he was an alien.

Kataya sighed, as her mind came back to the original problem. At least Lantash and Dominic had consented ahead of time. She did not doubt that Lantash would understand and he would help Martouf. Malek and Dev were different, however, and they would take careful handling. If one or both of them petitioned the All for release, the chances were that Gwennetha would be required to die to release them from those vows. She hoped it did not come to that, as it was not an avenue she would wish to have to deal with. It would be very painful for all involved. However, if worse came to worst, it could force them to either realize they did love her, or prove that they did not. One way or the other, it would solve the problem.

* * *

Merdwin looked at Jacob Carter as they sat together enjoying, well, eating brunch. Of those not affected, the two of them were the only ones left at the table; the others having gone off for the day to explore and be entertained by Valynara. No one else had been able to stomach the thought of food, and Jacob was obviously expecting to talk to him. If Merdwin had been the sort of person to groan, he would have.

Lantash and Martouf were as ill as Malek and Devlin. Samantha and Gwennetha were not only ill, but also remorseful and feeling very depressed. Daniel was holding Martouf and Lantash's hand and helping them with their tea sipping. Lantash had wanted to see Samantha, so that was encouraging and hopefully by now she was being cuddled by the two of them.

Malek had petulantly insisted that the tea was too disgusting to drink, that they were attempting to poison them, and refused it completely, so to stop his whining, Merdwin had finally put Malek and Dev to sleep so that they would stop heaving… and stop complaining.

Once they were asleep, Merdwin had locked them in their room, ensuring that they could not throw themselves off the balcony by also locking that door and window … from the outside. Moreover, he had removed all sharp objects.

After talking to Gwennetha and then discussing the situation with him, Kataya had insisted she had a migraine. Kataya never had headaches, so that was her way of avoiding the meal and Jacob. Therefore, it had landed squarely in Merdwin's lap to tackle the explanations. Merdwin sighed deeply, and Jacob looked at him sharply.

"What's wrong? Is Sam okay?"

"Samantha is having morning sickness, or what passes for your morning sickness. Unfortunately, although it is worse first thing in the morning, it often lasts all day. We have procured the herbs that will mitigate it. She is resting at the moment and drinking the tea, which will help her. No doubt, by later this afternoon, she will be able to eat. Kataya always could when she was pregnant. Moreover, other than the _Mal'et'matk,_ the morning sickness, she is glowing, Jacob. Your daughter is thrilled to be pregnant, I assure you."

"I am more concerned with Martouf, Lantash, Malek, and Devlin than I am Samantha and Gwennetha. The women will handle this situation quite well. Martouf, Lantash, Malek and Devlin, however, are another matter altogether."

"If Sam and Gwennetha are the ones that are ill, why are you worried about Martouf and Devlin? Aren't they willing to give support and comfort? What the hell is wrong with them?" Jacob demanded, frowning. "Don't they realize that it's their place to be with their mates during this?"

"On your world, it works that way, Jacob, but the Furling are somewhat different. You see, during the mating ritual, Samantha and Gwennetha infected their mates with the chemicals and hormones from their own bodies; Ergo, both Martouf and Lantash, as well as Devlin and Malek, are quite ill this morning, and it will continue until they learn to drink the tea that mitigates it. That will help, but it will not go completely away for a couple of months."

Jacob stared at Merdwin, seeming at a loss for words. Finally realizing the meaning of the words that Merdwin had said, he asked, "They have morning sickness? The men have morning sickness? Maybe it's time for you to explain to me exactly what took place last night," Jacob said firmly.

_"Ask him about Colonel O'Neill's attitude, Jacob," _Sel instructed.

"And Selmak wants to know what got into Jack? He acted like he had no idea anything had happened last night."

Merdwin smiled slightly, saying calmly, "I convinced him that it would be unwise for him to comment, ever, to any of the people involved. In other words, Jack has agreed that he has total amnesia in regards to the situation last night. He will be suitably surprised and delighted when Samantha announces her pregnancy."

"I – see. So am I supposed to have amnesia, too?"

"No, Jacob, that will not be necessary and depending on how things work out, it could possibly be detrimental."

"So, are you ready to tell me all those things that you insisted last night could wait until today?"

"Yes. Valynara offered us the use of the library. I suggest we go in there, if you have finished your meal."

"Yeah, I'm ready, er, well, I'm finished anyway. I'm not sure about how ready I am to hear this."

Merdwin smiled fully at him for the first time that day. "It will no doubt repulse and appall you, Jacob. I am sorry that this is so, but it cannot be helped; it is our way. We are akin to the cats of our world, so please keep that in mind," Merdwin warned him mildly, as they stood and headed for the library.

Having found the ever-present Port and Mead, Merdwin relaxed for the first time in what seemed like hours. As he sank into the comfortable winged-back chair and sipped his port, he closed his eyes and simply existed for a moment. He had contacted Kataya to check on Malek and Dev and she had agreed. Thank the All; they were still sleeping soundly.

Drawing a deep relaxing breath he began to speak, "You are aware that we take on many attributes of the Great Cats of our world, the Pantherataya and the Lionkatanar. This extends into our mating rituals. A Furling female must have blood drawn before she will release her eggs, Jacob. And the male member must bleed for his blood must mix with his semen in order to ensure fertilization of those eggs."

Merdwin stopped and sipped his port. Glancing at Jacob, he was not surprised to realize that Selmak had taken his place, no doubt to suppress Jacob's rude comments. Therefore, he said to him, "Selmak, it is not necessary to try to protect me from Jacob's less than flattering remarks. We are very aware of how barbaric our mating is to non-Furlings. Millennia ago, it was worse than it is today, for there was a violent rite called _the blooding_ that took place to bond the male and female for eternity. It has evolved into the bonding rite we have today, and only two consenting Furlings now use the ancient sexual aspect. Not that I mind talking to you, old friend, but I think you should allow Jacob to express his horror and revulsion."

"If you are sure that you do not mind, Merdwin. I would not insult you and your people for any price. Your rites and rituals, while pagan, are in themselves beautiful. Lantash told me once, when he could finally bring himself to talk of his time with Kataya, that the night his children were conceived was one of the most wildly erotic and passionate, yet love-filled, nights that he had ever known, and he would cherish that memory forever."

Merdwin smiled at the memories that flashed through his own mind of the mating with the woman he had loved and the night she conceived their kits. The memories of that night had washed over him often in the horrendous days following it and helped to soothe his wounded pride. Moreover, as Lantash did, to this day, he remembered it with awe and almost overwhelming feelings of gratitude and love for the woman that had given him, not only that night, but also the two children that he loved so much.

"Yes," he answered softly. "I, too, have only wonderful memories of that night. The love given and received during _Lun'ak'mat_ is a wondrous thing indeed." Suddenly he laughed ruefully, "In order to mitigate the suffering that follows it, it must be."

Jacob came forward and looked uncomfortable as he said, "All right, Sel's giving me hell, telling me not to be rude, and he's right. So, I'll um, try to keep my comments to myself."

"There is no need to censor yourself, Jacob. I will understand."

"Okay, thanks, but I'll still attempt to stay polite. Sel's right and your ways deserve respect as much as our ways do. So, could you, maybe, start at the beginning? I mean, I don't understand any of it. Maybe just tell me first what happens between two Furling mates. Maybe I can extrapolate from there."

Nodding, Merdwin began his lecture. "I have already explained that there must be blood drawn on the female for her to release the eggs, and there must be blood drawn from the male member in order for the blood and semen to mix to insure fertilization."

Watching Jacob closely as he continued, he said, "A male Furling's member has very short, very sharp, spines just under the skin on its upper half. They are completely inactive and are undetectable except during _Lun'ak'mat_, the Furling mating cycle. At the time of _Lun'ak'mat_, the female exudes a very potent _aphrodisiac_ called the _Pher'ak'tel_. It calls to the male as nothing else that I have ever encountered. The female's chemicals drug both the male and the female so that they will complete the rather painful mating."

He smiled wryly as Jacob closed his eyes and winced, fully understanding what he was saying. "The spines have receptors which cause them to harden and become vertical when in the presence of the chemicals within the female's channel walls."

"So, the pheromones call the male. The chemicals and hormones, released by her first climax, drug both of them. They also immediately begin the building of the overwhelming desire to mate. The female will tease the male for quite some time, pleasuring him to the point where all he can think of is sinking himself into her body."

"When he reaches the point of being unable to stand anymore and insists on taking her, she will allow him entry and the chemicals act on the receptors. As the male climaxes, the spines stiffen and become vertical, ripping through his skin and into her channel walls. Her eggs are released; his semen mixes with his blood and in all probability, in about four to five months, two to four kits will be born."

"In very mature Furlings, the female can control the amount of pheromones she produces, and they will only mate a few times. In younger ones, where they cannot control the output of the pheromones," Merdwin sighed, "In those cases, they can mate to the point of exhaustion."

Jacob stared at Merdwin, unmoving and saying nothing, as his mind grappled with this information.

He cleared his throat, and then said, somewhat hoarsely, "Okay, I understand that, but I'm not able to extrapolate it out and apply it to Martouf and Sam. Martouf isn't Furling and he doesn't have those, um, spine thingies."

"No, he does not, you are correct."

"So, what exactly happened? I mean, did they just, um, you know, _exhaust_ each other? I mean, Lantash did look exhausted when he was there in the hall."

Merdwin wondered if he should keep the truth from Jacob but that thought passed as he realized that if Samantha needed him, and he did not have the facts, he would be unable to help her.

"Jacob," he said softly, "Samantha followed her Furling instincts. She had to bleed and so did they. Kataya did the same to Lantash at the time of their kits' conception. When the female mates with a non-Furling for the purpose of conception, they must imitate the conditions as closely as possible. When she sensed that they were drugged enough and in enough need of her body, she would have used her claws to bring blood to his member, and she would have insisted they draw blood, probably on her neck, before she allowed them access to her. All the criteria of conception were met, Jacob, or she would not be pregnant."

"And Jacob, although she understands it, Martouf does not. Add to it that he is vilely ill, and the consequence is that he is refusing to do so much as speak to her. Lantash, of course, having experienced it before, will be able to help Martouf to understand not only what happened, but that Samantha did not do it deliberately. Her body took over for her, and she was as much a victim of the drugging as they were. They will work it out, I assure you, but she will need your support and acceptance. I hope _you _can accept her."

Jacob sat, stunned. _"Sel, tell me what to think, to feel. He just told me that my daughter assaulted her mate. It almost sounds like rape."_

_"No, I do not think so, Jacob. Remember what I said about Lantash's feelings, as well as what Merdwin admitted he felt about it. That it is a night of love and passion. One they never forget and cherish forever. Certainly, there were things that were out of their control, but neither of them could control it. Rape is a violent act committed purposely by one being on another to hurt them." _

_"Neither of them had control of what transpired, nor did Samantha do what she did as an act of violence, so I do not believe it can truly be called rape. Merdwin told you that she was a victim of her own body. She did not know, nor could she control it, Jacob, and she could do nothing to stop it once it started; I am sure. Otherwise, Gwennetha would not have also gone through with it, for she must have had to do the same to Malek and Dev,"_ Selmak gave his opinion on all aspects of their discussion in a calm and practical manner. He was neither appalled nor disgusted by what happened and he hoped that Jacob would adopt his attitude as his own. So far it was not too bad. He hoped it stayed that way.

Jacob groaned. _"My god, what a mess. Malek will never forgive her. He lost control, without his consent, if what they are telling us is true. On top of that, he failed to protect his host. He will find that extremely hard to forgive or forget. For her to have injured him would be bad enough; for him to have allowed her to injure Dev…"_ he groaned again, realizing just how deeply upset Malek would be. To allow himself to be injured was one thing; to have failed in his responsibility to protect his beloved Devlin would be a crime he would find hard to forgive himself for, let alone the woman who had caused it.

_"I will allow Malek to sulk for a while, Jacob, but if he does not come around in the end, then I will take a hand in this affair. Gwennetha was as much a victim of her body as he was. She would not have done that without his consent if she had a choice. The Furling are an ancient, civilized, and caring race. They were born of the Mysts of time. They accept all sentient creatures as worthy of respect, and I have a great deal of respect for them. I will not allow Malek, or anyone else, to look on them as 'animals,' so you should remove that word from your thoughts, also, my dear one,"_ Selmak chided Jacob gently, even as he let him know that he loved him.

Drawing a shaky breath, Jacob smiled slightly for his mate, _"I'm sorry, Sel, and you're right, of course. I have no right to judge them. I'm just upset that Sam could do, did, that. I guess I just don't know how to get my head around it."_

_"Try finding the love you have for her and accepting that she now has traits of an ancient race that must be accepted as a part of her, much as you accepted her as the Dragon of the Star, and as much as the Tok'Ra traits she inherited from Jolinar make her part Tok'Ra," _Selmak advised gently.

_"True. I do love her. And I suppose if Lantash and Martouf can accept it, then who am I to refuse to?" _Jacob asked, his tone accepting.

_"Exactly, Jacob," Selmak agreed. He was quite pleased with Jacob's attitude as he finally thought the situation through._

Another thought coming into his mind, he turned back to Merdwin, who sat quietly and waited for him to finish his internal conversation. "Sam was too young to be able to control any of this, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes. Not only was she too young to control it, but she was not even aware of it on a conscious level, only an instinctual level. Had we realized she would trade her normal Tau'ri cycle for a Furling one, we would have taken steps to protect her from it, I assure you."

Jacob nodded decisively, "Yes, I know you and Kataya both well enough by now to know that's the truth. So now what?"

"Now, we do our best to give support to all who have been affected the most. Of all of them, Malek and Devlin will have the most difficulty, for Gwennetha did not tell them about the _Lun'ak'mat_. It was very remiss of her, and she is well aware of that."

"However, as Kataya pointed out, she can choose to abort the kits to free them from the _Mal'et'matk_ and death for herself to free them from their vows. Or, if they will use the tea, she may wait and choose to die during the birthing and thus free them if they wish that."

"We must hope that Malek is not so enraged that in his anger, he petitions the All to repudiate Gwennetha and to have his soul-threads returned. If he did, it could have unpleasant consequences. It will depend on their reaction to what has happened. So far, it is not good and I do not expect it to get better anytime soon."

"Isn't that a little drastic?" Jacob asked, appalled.

"I sincerely hope it will not come to that, Jacob. I believe they truly love my daughter. They have just forgotten it for the moment. The_ Mal'et'matk_ is a very distressing event. In the Furling, the male shares the morning sickness, the food cravings, the hormone swings, and the emotions, everything except the actual carrying of the kits. The woman can also choose to allow him to experience the labor. Kataya was kind enough to do so with me," he said sardonically. "Lantash she spared that, mostly because of Dominic, I am sure."

Jacob shook his head. "I don't envy them at all. Sel and I will do everything we can to help though, Merdwin. Just let us know what needs taken care of and we'll do what we can."

"Let us see how Lantash and Martouf respond to Samantha. I already know how Malek and Devlin are responding to Gwennetha. Thank the All, they are asleep for the moment."

"I am going to have another glass of port before they awaken and begin to beg to die again."

Jacob looked startled, "Do they really beg to die?" he asked incredulously.

Merdwin gave a twisted grimace of a smile. "Oh, yes, Jacob, we do. Even I begged death to claim me. Very few do not. Believe it or not, Daniel is one of the few that I know who withstood it stoically and stayed by their mates' side without a whisper of blame. Llancellon was another."

"Even - even Lantash?" Jacob asked, awed by the idea that such a proud being could be cut down in that way by a little illness. Malek, also, had a great deal of arrogance and pride. But, then, Merdwin also, was very proud and strong, and he admitted to begging.

"Even Lantash, Jacob, and not only do we beg someone to kill us, we actively plot our demise. You would no doubt be surprised. This is why Malek and Dev are locked into the room with all sharp objects removed and their access to the balcony restricted. Once they accept it as part of the process and forgive their mates, we will be able to trust them again."

"Would you care for another glass of port, Jacob?"

"Yeah," Jacob said, and then he grinned, "Yeah, I think I would. Thanks. Hopefully, we can get more if we need it."

"Certainly, Jacob. There is more where that came from. Artereos is ready and willing to send more. We have his full sympathy, by the way. And his agreement to step in, if necessary. Everything will work out in the end. Trust me on this."

"I do, Merdwin, believe me, I do," Jacob declared fervently.

TBC


	11. Secrets of the Past 11 DOTQ

**_Chapter Eleven Summary:_**_ Daniel is working harder than he should, but that is his way. The group has started to study the material that Artereos sent them. They have finished at the Temple, but now know that they must find other information before they can figure out where the little queens and symbiotes are hidden. Lantash and Martouf are doing much better, but Malek is still refusing both the cure for his nausea and to talk to or see Gwennetha. His irrationality is beginning to worry Merdwin and Kataya. Merdwin has suspicions about Devlin's past, and thus his refusal to go against Malek, even though he doesn't share his feelings about Gwennetha and what has happened. He holds no grudge against her and is delighted at the thought of having children. _****

**_Amat Wyn – _**_My Love_

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ – Furling Mating Cycle_****

**_Mal'et'matk - _**_Morning Sickness; In the Furling, the Morning Sickness is Shared by the Male, along with the Food Cravings, and Mood Swings. It also Affects Non-Furling Mates_

**_Coeurawyn _**_- My Heart _

**_"Italics" – _**_Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Eleven_**

**_Secrets of the Past_**

* * *

Martouf sat in the library with Sam, Jacob, Jocasta, Daniel, and Kataya, pouring over the tomes of information sent by Artereos. At least, they were attempting to. Unfortunately, although it was a great deal better, Lantash and Martouf still found themselves feeling quite ill on and off all day long. They had learned in the past week to keep the tea with them and to sip it constantly. While the carafe sat at their elbow, the cup was usually found in their hands, if not at their lips. Martouf claimed that he had become very fond of it, if for no other reason, than that it allowed him to leave their bedroom.

Once he came to terms with what happened and all of his memories returned, Martouf turned into the proverbial doting father-to-be. If he was not offering Sam food or drink, or querying her health and physical symptoms, or lack of them, then he was plying her with shawl-like garments that he had borrowed from Val, cushions, and footstools. Books were suddenly too heavy for her to lift, and the All forbid that she even look at a ladder or attempt to walk up a staircase by herself.

He was, quite frankly, driving Sam crazy and she had taken to hiding from him, whenever possible, by walking in the gardens or whisking herself to the temple. It had only taken him a day or so to find her hiding places, of course. She had suffered, with admirable patience, the scolding about her precious cargo and how she should never walk alone, but should be sure someone was along in case something (the All, and any other deities listening, forbid this, also) happened to her.

She had to be careful now; she was walking, eating, drinking, sleeping, and breathing for three. It was only two kits, was it not? She had been tempted to tease him and tell him no, she was actually having a litter because they had been so, um, active that night. That Kataya had said there would be six, but seeing his honestly anxious gaze on her, pleading with his eyes, she had relented and assured him that so far, all they had detected were the more common two.

She did not tell him that Kataya had used the ribbon for a very long time, been thorough, and in the end, told her it was simply too soon to tell. There might be more, but only time would tell. Give it another week or so.

They were just grateful that they were not responsible for carrying such precious cargo around. They were amazed that Samantha could be so calm about it and look at them with such amusement when they mentioned it.

As Martouf came to the conclusion that it was real, that there was indeed a little Samantha and a little Martouf/Lantash growing inside of her, she had to sit through an entire evening of him staring at her stomach. Then she lived through his inability to, ah, perform, until Lantash had taken over and allowed the blood to go where it was needed.

She had assured him that he would not hurt them; they were very well cocooned and protected. Lantash had finally sat him down the next day and given him a very detailed lecture on what exactly was happening. _As if he didn't know_, he had continued, chiding him. He told him to use his brains; he was not stupid.

Martouf had informed him that the headaches Lantash subjected him to resulted in him having a loss of memory. Then, he had sheepishly admitted that, well, yes, he had known all of that on an intellectual level, but when he looked at their Samantha, and then realized what was nestled there, so close to where they, well, you know, it had scared him and all his scientific knowledge had been wiped away. When they finished their domestic spat, Sam had once again escaped, and managed to avoid them for almost three quarters of an hour. Kataya assured her that they _would_ get over it. Eventually. In a few months. Maybe.

What is more, their Samantha was indeed glowing. She grew more beautiful each day, and Martouf was thankful he had "gotten his head outta his butt," as Jacob had bluntly told him, when he and Lantash had finally been able to leave their room and the proximity to the facilities for any length of time.

The facilities were farther away in the lower rooms of the dwelling, but they were not so violently ill now that they could not make it there, if the need arose. As long as they remembered to sip, they were very much better. In fact, although they did not realize it, they were going longer and longer between bouts of severe nausea as two things took place.

According to Kataya, their own bodies were beginning to become more adept at controlling the wild fluctuations of the hormones and, in reality, as time went by; their bodies lost very small amounts of them. It would take two full months for their bodies to completely assimilate them and learn to manage them, but it was already slowly beginning to do so. Eventually, of course, they would dissipate entirely.

Now, though, he and Lantash would have something besides their pregnancy and Samantha about which to worry. As they all sat in the library, working on the translations and going over the tomes of information, scrolls, dictionaries, and videotapes of the temple walls, they had suddenly emerged from their soon-to-be-new-father haze and realized that neither Malek and Dev, nor Gwennetha, had been in any of their conferences.

They had not gone to the temple with them and they were not helping in sorting through the mounds of material they had gathered, nor had they attended a meal in days. In fact, they had not seen them since the night that they all became pregnant. They could think of it no other way. Between sharing the illness, the moodiness, the emotional storms, and the food cravings, they felt as if they, too, were pregnant.

So the question in their mind was what was wrong with Gwennetha, Malek, and Dev? Were they not yet well enough to come downstairs? Their question was greeted by silence and sideways glances at one another by the people in the room.

"What is wrong with Gwennetha? Did something go wrong?" Lantash demanded. If his friend was suffering because Gwennetha was ill, he should be sharing that with him, not ignoring him.

Finally, Kataya said, tightly, "There is nothing wrong with Gwennetha or her kits, Lantash. She is fine."

"Then are Devlin and Malek not responding well to the tea? Is she sitting with them? And where is Merdwin most of the time?" He wanted to know. He did not like the silence that had sprung up in this room. His voice quiet, he said firmly, "You are all keeping something from me about Gwennetha or Malek and Devlin. If it concerns Gwennetha, it concerns Malek and Dev, and vice versa. I believe I have a right to know what is transpiring."

Seeing the continued tightening of Kataya's normally soft and warm features, he felt a chill.

"Very well, Lantash. Malek will not drink the tea in order to help himself and Devlin, nor will he talk to Gwennetha. He is still wishing to take his life, and Merdwin has been staying with him, or we lock his room at all times. He has decided that he cannot forgive Gwennetha for not telling him about the _Lun'ak'mat_. Needless to say, in her condition, the added stress is making her _Mal'et'matk _worse, and she is only able to leave her room for a few hours a day, which she has been spending in the All or with her grandfather."

"I will talk to him," Lantash said firmly.

"You may do so if you wish, but it will do no good. Do you not think that we have not all talked to him? He feels he has failed Devlin by allowing Gwennetha to harm him, and he finds that unacceptable. Add to that the wound to his pride, and his feelings that Gwennetha took advantage of them and deliberately harmed them, and there is little to say to him. In his mind, she deliberately deceived him, Lantash, and he may never be able to get beyond that. You know how both Malek and Devlin feel about honesty. To have their mate betray them in this way may well be an unforgivable transgression. Devlin is saying nothing, so we do not know how he feels, but he must agree with Malek, or he would make his feelings known."

Lantash was stunned, but not truly surprised. Malek could be very stubborn if he got an idea firmly fixed in his head, and both he and Devlin were very honest. Nevertheless, this was not even rational behavior. "Kataya, could the hormones and chemicals be affecting Malek's ability to think logically? Because this sounds almost irrational, and while Malek can be incredibly stubborn, he is never irrational," he said quietly.

He watched as Kataya's eyes narrowed in thought. After staring at him, while the rest of the room waited in suspense for her comment, she finally stated, "It is possible, I suppose. No doubt his emotions are swinging wildly."

She frowned as the implications really sank in, "If he is responding on a purely emotional level, and also fighting those same emotional responses, he is probably having difficulty thinking clearly. All we can do is wait to see if the emotional turmoil will abate and allow him to think more rationally as the hormones become more controlled by his body."

"Unfortunately, his fighting and refusing to accept any of this is only delaying their body's ability to adjust. And his refusal to drink the tea is not helping, as his body has to cope with the physical ramifications constantly as well." She sighed in discouragement. "All we can do is monitor the situation and see what happens." And, hope that he does not, either deliberately or inadvertently, petition the All in his emotionally unstable state, she added to herself. Her fear of that was growing as the days passed by, for it could have far-reaching and disastrous consequences. They were doing all that they could do for now.

Turning back to Daniel, she said, "Have you found nothing yet, _Amat Wyn_? Surely, in all these tomes there must be some information. We must find it."

Daniel leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back and then twisting it from side to side. He moaned as Kataya came up behind him and began to rub his neck. "That feels really good, Kataya. I feel like my neck is made of steel cords, not muscle, and flesh."

Shortly after he sighed in relief and returned to his former thoughts, saying, "I'm afraid that we're going to have to start going through the Tok'Ra legends as well as the Furlings'. Unfortunately, this is even more time-consuming than I thought that it might be, and although we have all the information from the walls that we need, I really don't want to take it back to the SGC. We can talk more freely here."

"I just wish the information on the walls made more sense. However, everything there pointed to a need for other information. That leaves us with the Furling and Tok'Ra legends, songs, or poems, because by itself, the information on those walls mean nothing in particular. We should have suspected it would be this way. Egeria wouldn't put all of the information there if just anyone could figure it out, and if we had been thinking clearly, we would have realized that Val would have known where they were if it was that easy."

"I'm really glad Jack made the decision to return to Earth and act as if we're taking an extended leave on Avilion because of the kits. No one expects us back, and it leaves us free to study this. With Jack, Teal'c, and Stevenson gone, it'll help our cover story."

"Now that word is back to the Tok'Ra that you, Sam, and Gwennetha have returned, and that's why Artereos asked that they be sent on a need to know basis for a covert mission, so that the surprise wouldn't be spoiled, it also leaves them here indefinitely. It is too bad that Brialek had to leave so that the Tok'Ra wouldn't get suspicious, but he won't say anything, and we do still have Jocasta and Merdwin. At least, we do when he's not trying to see to it that Dev and Malek don't do anything foolish." Daniel sighed.

Looking up as Kataya finished relieving some of the tension in his neck he said, "I'm afraid it's going to be up to you, Selmak, and Daur'rin, Lantash. I really don't care if you use the memory recall device, or allow Kataya or Merdwin to access your memories, but we may have no choice but to begin to go through your legends and songs. We're barely a third of the way through the information Artereos sent."

"I have talked to Val, and she is doing her best to remember anything and everything pertaining to Egeria's visit. She hasn't had much success, though. Your legends and songs would probably be more useful. So, begin thinking about it. We'll work on it this evening after our evening meal. You'll need to go through the information that Merdwin brought us on the Tok'Ra. Once we finish that, then we can sift through any legends or songs you've managed to remember, and we'll write them down. If we still have nothing, then we'll go to the next step of the memory devices, or Merdwin and Kataya accessing your deep memories for you."

"Wait a minute," Sam sat up from where she'd been curled in an overstuffed chair, reading a legend. "Maybe it's not just the Tok'Ra legends. At the time of Egeria, there were no Tok'Ra, at least, not as we think of them today."

"What if the legends are Goa'uld? Their legends would have been around at that time. We know now that the writings on the wall are only half of the information. The only legends and songs at that time would have been Goa'uld."

"We've been going on the assumption that she left certain legends and songs in her offspring, to guide them and that only they would know them. But, if that's true, then the Goa'uld couldn't have figured this out even if they came here and translated the walls. Only if the legends were part of their culture as well as the Tok'Ra would this information have been of any use to them at all."

Daniel nodded slowly, "She's right. There would have been no fear of the Goa'uld finding this if the information was only given to the Tok'Ra symbiotes. So," he groaned, "that means we have to widen our search to include Goa'uld legends, songs, and poems."

"Yes, I agree, but I also think that they would have been legends that she would have been sure her offspring knew and knew well, so we aren't that much worse off. She would not have used obscure legends or anything else that would not have been given specifically to her children. So, we are still looking for knowledge that is inherent to the Tok'Ra. It will still be in their original memories that she passed on." Selmak spoke up.

"You're right, Selmak. So really, we are simply looking for stories that are fairly well-known, but not necessarily purely Tok'Ra," Sam concluded.

"I believe that there may also be some of the more obscure legends involved. They may be Goa'uld or something that Egeria left specifically in their memory that appeared to be a legend. There are several combinations of sources that it could be, and we won't know until we find them," Daniel said, as he mulled over the conversation and its conclusions. Then he picked up the next batch of scrolls.

"For now though, since you seem to have almost finished that batch of scrolls, here's the next batch. I'm afraid that they are in a slightly different dialect. Here are the translation materials that you will need. They will help you grasp enough of it that all you will need is to use them as a reference in order to translate that group. I'm pretty sure that I've got this stuff sorted as the language evolved, so you should only have to add several changes to what you already know." Lantash and Selmak groaned as Jocasta picked up the books that they would need to learn the next set of script.

Sam continued reading the Furling legends that she was already on, and Kataya leaned down to give Daniel a kiss and reach for her next set of scrolls as well. Daniel was working himself into the ground over this. She would have to relieve his tension again this night. Her work was just never finished, but at least nightly tension relieving was one of the less onerous tasks. In fact, she thoroughly enjoyed it.

She became aware of Merdwin on the link. "_Kataya, are you off by yourself or are you in plain view of the room?"_

"_I can remove myself to a chair away from the others. Is something the matter, Merdwin?" Her inquiry was quickly sent._

_"I have decided to begin taking this situation with Dev and Malek into our hands. It has been a week; time enough, if Malek was going to come around. He has not, as we are all aware, but I do not believe that Devlin agrees with him. I have, while I have been here with them, felt some emotions from time to time, when Malek was asleep, that I believe I should follow up on. I may need your abilities as an adept empath, as I believe he is not telling us - or Malek - how he feels about this situation. I wish to discover why, and I believe that the subject could be a painful one."_

_"I see. If you wish me to absorb his pain, then I must be farther away than on the other side of the room from the people here. I will retreat to Val's sanctuary."_

_"It may very well take quite some time to convince him of the need to do this, Kataya, if he will even agree at all. I believe he has memories of experiences that are extremely painful to him."_ There was a pause before he said, softly, _"I believe that we will find that Devlin is from Spartania, but perhaps was not a native of that planet. You are aware of what that would mean, as well as I am."_

Merdwin felt the shaft of pain that entered Kataya at the thought of what the young man would have been subjected to as a male member of that planet, native or not.

_"I will go now and prepare in case you can convince him. It may not be possible, you know. Remember how hard it was to convince Lucent to let us help him," _she cautioned him, but also assured him that she would be ready if Devlin agreed.

_"I am aware, Amat Wyn, but we must try, and the fact that we have dealt previously and successfully with a similar situation will, I hope, be an inducement to him," _Merdwin replied quietly, knowing, as she did, that what he was going to attempt could be difficult to achieve, but was worth trying_. _

_"Of course. Contact me if he agrees. I will be ready,"_ She replied firmly, as she closed the link.

Turning to Daniel, she said, "I am going to go to the Sanctuary for a while,_ Coeurawyn_. I believe I could use some time in meditation, if you do not mind."

Daniel looked up from the parchment that he was studying as she spoke, but his gaze was unfocused. He nodded vaguely. Kataya left the room, amusement on her face and a smile on her lips. Daniel truly was the same as he had always been.

* * *

Devlin came slowly back to consciousness and as he did so, he realized that Malek was still sleeping. It was rare that this happened. Usually, as soon as Devlin awoke, Malek also roused, if he was even still asleep. The symbiote needed much less sleep than the human did, so it was not unusual for the symbiote to be doing things while the human slept.

It was harder the other way around. Normally, movement and thought roused them unless they were very tired or had just begun their sleep cycle. He realized that Merdwin was sitting and reading in a chair close by the bed. The man had been patience itself with them, and Devlin was grateful. He just hoped that Merdwin would, or could, agree to do as Devlin asked.

"Merdwin?" he called softly, trying not to awaken Malek.

Merdwin glanced up and smiled. "So you have finally decided to rejoin us, Dev. I am very glad. How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad at the moment." He frowned, realizing that Malek had not stirred at all and that he was evidently very deeply asleep. "Merdwin, although I wished to speak to you, while Malek was asleep, I am somewhat concerned. He appears to be sleeping quite heavily. That is not normal."

Merdwin nodded slightly. "Yes, I know. He is sleeping because I wished to speak to you without him awake. Although I do not normally believe in doing things in such an underhanded way, in this case, I felt it was necessary. You see, I believe that you are not making your wishes known to him, and I am wondering why."

Devlin flushed as he stared at his father-in-law. He had never thought, after his previous experience with that particular kind of in-law, that he would ever willingly take another. Merdwin had been everything his previous father-in-law was not. Wise, gentle, good, and caring. How he hated hurting this man and his daughter. The daughter he loved so much that he felt as if his heart was breaking in two.

However, his loyalty must be to Malek first, for Malek had saved him in more ways than he would ever know, and he owed him more than he could ever repay. If it meant repudiating his mate, then so be it. He would never love another woman, but he would not have betrayed the other mate of his soul, for surely that is what Malek was.

He looked at Merdwin, despair in his eyes. He could not tell him the truth of it. He had never even let Malek see those things for he was more ashamed of them than of anything in his entire life. He covered it well with his general happy outlook and ability to find humor in most things. It was an attitude that kept people from delving to deeply into his past. Just barely thinking about it made him shudder and tremble in fear and loathing.

He realized that Merdwin was telling him that if they talked, Malek would not awaken in the middle of their conversation. No doubt, he had put him farther into slumber than he had Devlin. He was grateful, for he wanted - no, needed - to talk to Gwennetha, something he could not do while Malek was awake.

"I believe you need to tell me what it is that keeps you from telling Malek your true feelings in this, Dev. For the truth is, you are lying to him and to us, if you say that you no longer love Gwennetha and cannot forgive her. I, for one, do not believe that."

"You are correct, Merdwin, and I am well aware that I am lying to Malek. Or rather, I would be, if he had asked my opinion. However, he has not asked how I feel, and for that I am grateful, for I do not wish to try to lie to him. The fact that he has not asked my opinion tells me, in and of itself, that he is extremely upset."

"He is not thinking clearly, I am afraid. His emotions are tearing at him constantly. The love and loyalty he feels for me and what he perceives as his failure to protect me, are warring with the eternal love he has for Gwennetha. He does love her, unfortunately at the moment, he has convinced himself that he does not love her anymore. He is lying to himself, Merdwin, I do assure you, but his mental state is so very fragile right now that I am afraid of what will happen to him if I try to so much as attempt to reason with him. This is the first and only time I have ever known Malek to be unable to reason. It is somewhat frightening to me, for I have never seen him act this way."

"He is completely enraged; I do not believe it is only with Gwennetha. He is furious with _himself_ for his failure to protect me, as well as his complete loss of control without his consent. Had he been aware all along that it could happen, what would happen when it finally occurred, and why it would happen, I do not believe he would be so very infuriated."

"He refuses to think logically about the incident at all, and the one time that his mind began to work in that direction, he deliberately pulled it away from there. I have seen Malek in many stages of ire. Irritation, anger, rage, fury. Never have I seen him this enraged, so almost out of control and totally irrational. Never. I have no idea how to even begin to deal with it, and I do not believe that I should even try yet." Devlin sighed before whispering softly, "I believe the depth of his anger is frightening even him."

Merdwin agreed, saying, "You do not have to explain his thought processes to me, Dev, I understand exactly what he is feeling. In his eyes, he has failed you, and he has failed himself. The hormones intensify the emotional turmoil; he has no control over them, and does not even realize that he is being irrational. Add to that his belief that Gwennetha deliberately lied to him, and you have a Tok'Ra who feels completely out of control, as if his entire world has collapsed on him and he is not sure how to find the way out."

"Not only that, he is afraid he may_ never _find the way out. It is why he is refusing the tea. It is a small way that he can control what is happening to him. He has lost control of his body and yours. He is being kept caged, in his mind, by us not allowing him access to a way to end his life. He is unable to leave these rooms for fear of being away from the facilities, and the one person that he would have sworn would never harm or betray him, other than you, has deceived him."

"I can fully understand his fear, Devlin, for there are few thinking creatures who are not completely appalled when they face the depths to which their own anger and need for control can take them. It is why we use civilized behavior to control our baser instincts. _Lun'ak'mat_ takes the veneer of civilization away, and if you are not prepared for it, and sometimes, even if you are, it can take you by surprise, and leave you gasping for breath. Oh, yes, I understand Malek quite well."

"What I am not so sure of is what you are hiding, from both Gwennetha," he paused, as he looked intently at Dev, "And Malek. It is something that disturbs you greatly. I believe you should tell me what it is."

He watched as Devlin's eyes widened in horror and then closed in anguish. "I cannot, Merdwin. I am sorry, but I cannot share those memories with anyone. Not even Malek."

Merdwin sighed, and then said, "Devlin, do you love my daughter? Did you mean the vows that you made to her?"

His voice anguished, Devlin replied, "Yes, but I cannot betray Malek, either. He has first claim to my loyalty because of …" he stopped speaking, again shuddering as the memories came unbidden to mind. "I just cannot ever allow him to know, not now, not ever. Please do not ask me to, Merdwin, for I cannot and will not speak of them."

"Very well, we will not speak of them, then." Merdwin sat quietly for a few moments, thinking, as he watched the man on the bed and absorbed the fear and loathing that he was sending outward from him. Devlin had been a victim of a violent act of some sort; that much was obvious. Merdwin suspected that he knew what it was, as he had told Kataya, and the very thought sickened him. If his suppositions were in fact true, it had been an ongoing situation, not a one-time trauma. His eyes narrowed.

Relaxing in his chair, he poured some tea for Dev and said, "It is quite safe to sit up, for Malek will not awaken until I allow it. He is exhausted and needs the extra rest. Here is some of the tea. Sip it very slowly, in very small amounts, at first. What Malek does not know will not hurt him, and if you do not start to drink it soon, you will be ill again."

Dev took the tea and sipped it cautiously. He remembered the one taste of it that they had taken before Malek had declared that they were attempting to poison them, and he would not drink anything so disgusting. It had been fairly vile; however, it did not seem so bad now. He looked at Merdwin, a brow raised in question.

"Malek attempted to drink it rather than sip it. If sipped, one does not get the entire flavor, and you soon become used to it. I cannot say that it ever becomes something you would crave, but it does become quite palatable." Merdwin continued to talk lightly about this and that. Dev sat up and relaxed against the headboard of the bed, enjoying the sensation of simply sitting and doing nothing, not even really thinking as they simply chatted in a desultory way. He felt better and knew he must ask to speak to Gwennetha soon. He needed to assure her that although they would not be together, he would always love her. He had to explain his loyalty to Malek and try to make her understand how very deeply he was hurting over this. He wanted her, wanted their children, but he could not and would not be disloyal to Malek. He sighed and closed his eyes tiredly.

"Did you blend with Malek during the destruction of Spartania or afterward?" Merdwin asked casually.

"During." His mind occupied, Devlin answered before he realized what had been asked. He froze, and his eyes popped open to look into Merdwin's, his own stricken. "How did you know?" He whispered, brokenly.

"Malek mentioned Spartania once when we were talking. I had the impression that he knew little of their society; he had simply unintentionally become involved in a Goa'uld invasion there. He told me you managed to escape because his host was injured and dying, and by blending with you, it allowed him to move about and not to be known by his face."

"He has never become aware of that planet's, ah, societal customs that hinged around mating and the ownership and use of the daughter's mate by the father-in-law."

"Your reaction to my questions and the emotions you threw out were enough to allow me to extrapolate your former position in that society. Your attitude, and your loyalty to Malek for saving you, seemed very intense, as if it was a personal as well as a general thankfulness. Removing you from a Goa'uld world would have engendered loyalty, but not this rabid refusal to go against his wishes in this important matter."

"Devlin, I believe I need to know exactly what happened to you. We can access those memories and we can negate some or all of the pain of them for you. It is a simple process. You are not the first male we have encountered that has escaped from there, and we have been able to help in the past. I do not believe that you ever wish to forget completely, though. I think you wish to always remember what it was like, so that you will always feel grateful for what you now have with Malek."

"We have a way that we can leave the memories, but remove and then block any remaining pain of them. You will be able to access them, review them, and even feel some of the emotions that are associated with them, but not the soul-searing pain of those emotions. In this way, you will never forget, and you will always retain the feelings of love, gratitude, and extreme loyalty that you feel for Malek. For those are the emotions that you wish to retain, do you not? Those feelings are why you have not buried those memories even more deeply than you have, are they not?"

Devlin looked at him as he weighed what he had said. "But, if you go in, then I will have to relive them, and I do not wish to do that, ever."

"No, not if I take Kataya with me. She is an adept empath, Devlin, capable of channeling intense pain, be it physical or mental. She will not allow them to touch your conscious mind. We will leave them buried, and Kataya will absorb some of the emotional pain connected to them…make them, perhaps, a little more bearable. If you allow us several sessions, we may be able to remove most of the pain or if not, at least, the majority of it. I am sorry that we cannot do it in one session, but I will not allow Kataya to be so overwhelmed, as she would no doubt be. My choice, not hers, Dev, for she will ache to take it all from you at once. That is her way. Mine is slower, perhaps, but less stressful on her."

Dev looked at him with hope for a few moments, before shaking his head sadly. "I can't allow that, Merdwin. Then you and Kataya would despise me for my weakness as much as Malek would if he knew."

"As I mentioned, we have helped others from there, Devlin. One in particular had been terribly abused, but he had no way to stop what happened to him. Under law, his father-in-law owned and could use him, in that way, any time he wished. I do not and did not despise him and I will feel no differently with you; that I can promise you."

"I very much doubt that you could have avoided what happened to you or done anything about it once it did. My guess is that you were fairly young when it started. All of that is irrelevant; we simply wish to help you overcome the pain, for we cannot change the past."

Devlin sat quietly, eyes closed, feeling a stinging sensation. Another gift from Gwennetha that Malek was fighting with everything he had. His poor, beloved Malek was so exhausted from fighting all the feelings and emotions that it was all he could do to survive, let alone work through any of this. Dev considered what Merdwin was offering him. He would give him relief from the fear that something would trigger the pain and he would not be able to hide it from Malek.

Opening haunted eyes, he asked firmly, "I would not relive any of it? You promise me that?"

"I promise, Dev. Just as I swear to you that neither Kataya nor myself will ever feel anything but the great regard that we already feel for you. This is not something you could have stopped."

As Devlin looked at Merdwin with hope and disbelief warring in his features, Merdwin said softly, "We have lived and seen much in our many millennia, Devlin. Do not forget that we have much experience of the evils in this universe, and it is our destiny to fight those evils wherever we find them. Have not recent events proven that to be true? We will think no less of you because of this; _it is not our way._"

"Because of what you saw in his mind?"

"Yes, partly, but even without our prior knowledge of him, our feelings for you would not change." Merdwin paused frowning slightly before continuing, "Dev, Kataya and I have a great deal of affection for you, and believe it or not, for Malek. We wish to lose neither of you, not only because it will hurt our daughter, but because you have become our sons."

"And, I believe you owe this to Gwennetha. She has a right to know that there is a reason you are not forgiving her. I may not be able to tell her that reason, but I can at least assure her there truly is one. If her mother and I can assure her of that, perhaps she will not feel so guilty. She is suffering, too; do not forget. And knowing there is a valid reason and that her mother helped you will help her."

"I realize this information is irrelevant at the moment, but you should know that Gwennetha shares her mother's gift of empathy. She is an Enchantress of Nature's Forces, also, in the manner of her mother and grandmother before her. She would understand what it meant when we explained that it was bad enough that Kataya entered your mind to relieve the pain. Knowing how and when it is used, she would understand that it is not a minor thing that is causing you to renounce her, but a major event and driving force within your life."

Devlin sat deep in thought. He had never wanted to share his memories of his life before Malek with anyone. However, Merdwin offered him something that he had not had in a very long time. Peace and a lessening of the fear that somehow Malek would learn of them. He would do almost anything to assure that Malek would never learn of it, and therefore, never lose his regard for him.

It had been a close call the morning they had awakened with Merdwin. Luckily, Dev had realized they had none of the telltale signs that would have told him that Merdwin had used them in that way and Malek had been too panicked at his own lack of recall to notice Dev's momentary, but debilitating fear.

His own realization of what had not taken place had allowed him to calm Malek's fears. He smiled wryly to himself, as he realized that Malek had no idea _why_ he had been so repulsed and horrified, but Dev was sure that his own emotions had bled over into Malek's without him realizing they were not his.

Looking at Merdwin as he sat calmly at ease, Devlin again felt thankful that his second father-in-law was this being. Yes, there was a savage, pagan side to the Furling, but he could live with that, knowing that they would never intentionally hurt him. What Gwennetha had done had not really been anything that she could have stopped. He believed them in that statement, for she would not have hurt them if she could have stopped it. Not without their prior consent. The fact that she had to inflict the wounds to conceive was part of her and her heritage; she had not done it simply to hurt him.

Nor did she deliberately not tell them of the_ Lun'ak'mat._ It had simply not crossed her mind that she needed to explain. You do not explain a fact of life. Unfortunately, until that night, it had not been a fact of their life. Had they met and mated under different circumstances, he felt that she would have thought to tell them. He could not and would not blame her for this oversight when he knew, in his heart, that she did not do it deliberately.

All the same, that did not change or stop the existence of the present circumstances. He would have to give her up, and he would do so for Malek, to allow him to recover from this blow. He would have the knowledge that somewhere in the universe, he had beautiful children who were growing up with a beautiful and loving mother. One who would treat them with love and respect and who would never harm them in any way. Yes, he would have that, at least.

It would be a balm to his spirit and help to mitigate the knowledge that his other children had died. He had watched from the window of his room, completely helpless to do anything, as the Jaffa cut them down in the streets as they tried to run away. His sweet Marisa and stout Janison. How he had loved his children, the one shining light in his otherwise dark and loathsome existence.

He had never cared particularly for his wife. She had been vain and utterly uncaring of anyone but herself, including her children and him, but even he would not have given her to the Jaffa for their payment to leave him alone. She, too, had died horribly, after being tortured. He had seen her body on the way out of the house, but had cared little for her fate. Nothing had mattered by then.

Nothing, that is, except the confrontation between Malek and his father-in-law. Dev thought of that now and how he had cowered in the back of his own mind as Malek had simply broken the man's neck as he tried to stop him and his new mate from leaving. Malek had taken some of his clothing, since Dev had been wearing almost nothing as that was how his father-in-law had kept him most of the time, and his former host's garments were not in very good shape.

As he had stripped him and donned the clothing, Devlin had laughed hysterically in their shared mind. Malek had thought Dev was coming apart because he had committed such a violent act. Dev had assured him, without telling him who the man was, that he was laughing because, for once, the man had been the one on the receiving end, that he had deserved to die a slower and more painful death, and then he had thanked him profusely for killing him. Neither of them had ever mentioned it again.

Moreover, perhaps, sometime in the future, he could convince Malek to see and talk to Gwennetha. Not today or tomorrow, but he would hold onto the hope that the day would come when he could show to Malek the beauty of the night that their children were conceived. Moreover, if the pain of his children's loss was lessened, then he could show him how much the children Gwennetha would give them could mean to them. The day could come when he would be able to share with Malek all of those things, and convince him to try to reconcile with Gwennetha. He would hold onto that hope, for right now, it was all he had.

Merdwin watched the emotions crossing his face for a moment before saying, "There is something that I must tell you, Dev, for I will not keep things from you pertaining to this situation. The hormones, which are making you more emotional, will give you less control over the memories and the feelings attached to them. The emotional turmoil you are undergoing will make your memories and feelings much closer to the surface, as well, and they will be much more likely to come forward if anything happens to trigger them."

"I thought you should know. While they will remain buried, you know as well as I that you have never buried them so deeply that you cannot access them. Should any trauma happen, it could release them."

"I do not see any traumatic thing happening to you here, for we will continue to care for both you and Malek until he can be trusted not to attempt to kill you both."

"I must admit though, that as I told you earlier, while I do understand his reactions and why he is feeling these things, and I understand it is a way to have control, I also believe it is very out of character for him to continue in this refusal, when he knows it is harming you. The only likely explanation I can come up with is that the unusual chemicals in his system are causing irrationality. However, we will deal with that after we have helped you," Merdwin pronounced, in his calm and soothing way.

"I have noticed that the thoughts sometimes come when I am not attempting to access them. It has worried me as I am afraid that they will come into my dreams, and I will have to try to explain something to Malek, which would mean lying."

"Therefore, yes, Merdwin, I accept. If you can take the pain of those memories away so that there is less chance of Malek ever finding them, then do so. I – I believe that he would despise me for what I allowed to happen to me for so long, and he would be right to do so. I should have fought harder, tried harder."

Drawing a shaking breath, he asked, "When do you wish to begin?"

Merdwin smiled at him. "Kataya is waiting. We will begin now, while Malek is still deeply asleep, if that is acceptable to you. Devlin, do you trust us not to lie to you?"

"Yes, of course." Devlin replied.

"Then believe this. I will not try to tell you again, now, before we access the memories, that you could have done nothing to change your situation, but I feel sure that afterwards, I will be telling you that. And then you will know that it is true."

"Now, are you ready to begin?"

"Yes. Yes, I am ready," Devlin, whispered as he looked into the dark blue eyes looking back at him. He felt himself lying down, and the last thing he remembered thinking was that Merdwin's eyes were hypnotic when you looked into them deeply. Why had he never realized that before? Then he was floating in warm, softly blue water before he fell soundly asleep.

TBC


	12. The Decision of the All 12 DOTQ

**_Chapter Twelve Summary: _**_Kataya enters Devlin's mind to help him cope with his memories and the pain associated with them. Afterwards, when Malek awakens and they are being unwell again, Kataya gives Merdwin the news that Gwennetha has been called to account for her deception of her mates. Malek and Dev overhear what is to happen to her and their kits and find themselves horrified and appalled. Malek especially, as he is the cause of it all. _

**_Amat – _**_Love_

**_Amat Wyn – _**_My Love_

**_Caruswyn _**_–__ Dear One, Dearest One_

**_"Italics"_**_ – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Twelve_**

**_The Decision of the All_**

* * *

"_Merdwin, there is a great deal of pain here. Year after year of it."_ Kataya sent to him as she gazed at the memories in Devlin's mind.

_"I suspected as much. Do you know where you will start?"_

_"I am accessing all of his memories pertaining to that time, and then I will decide which ones to decrease the pain of the emotional trauma to first." _

_"I am glad you agreed to me entering alone. Devlin will feel better the fewer who see this. Moreover, I believe, from what I am seeing that it would bother him more that you see this than I. Although, the truth of the matter is that regardless of which of us that it is, he will feel despair over it, unless I can help him to accept it and to realize he truly had no choice in this." _

_"Merdwin, it is worse than what Lucent underwent. It is - I am surprised he can…dear universe, Merdwin, no wonder he is so attached and loyal to Malek. We must allow nothing to break their bond. I truly mean nothing, Amat, not even our daughter, no matter the cost to her."_ Merdwin could hear the deep sympathy in her voice, but no pain, yet. She had not yet begun to absorb it. That state would not last long, he knew. It was her way to absorb the pain of others, a side affect of being an empath.

He heard her gasp and whimper slightly. It must indeed be bad, for her to be hurt that much before she began to consciously absorb the pain. _"He had children, Merdwin, and he saw them killed as he stood by and could do nothing. They were the only bright spot in his life. The Jaffa killed them during the invasion. He—he was chained in a room overlooking the street and saw it from the window. He – in a way, he was glad they were dead rather than taken and made slaves, though,"_ she whispered.

Merdwin became aware of her shielding herself as she began a recitation of facts in a level, emotionless tone. She had cut herself off from what she was seeing, for the moment, to enable herself to see the entire picture, and make logical rather than emotional decisions.

_"Malek freed him from that room and inadvertently killed his father-in-law. These two acts are the basis of his loyalty, of course. He has never forgotten the intense feeling of satisfaction that he felt when Malek killed him using Devlin's own hands. The surprised look on the man's face, as he realized that the slave was no more, and that the person he was confronting was not who he thought he was is one of his most cherished memories. It is also one of the few good ones that he can claim from his time with that man. He has savored that surprised look all these years since it happened. I cannot blame him, for the man deserved to die, and it is fitting that he died by Dev's hands, even if they were being wielded by Malek."_

_"Then, the years and the care that Malek has always given him have forged the deep love Devlin has for him. It is my belief that although Malek may not "know," he suspects some of this. Not nearly all, of course, but I am sure that there have been dreams through the years that Malek found unsettling, but which he realized that he could not ask about."_

_"The beginning, Kataya? Have you found it?" _ Merdwin urged her on to the next step. Getting no answer, he tried again, _"Kataya."_

_"Sorry. Merdwin, there are some other disturbing things here. Devlin has always allowed Malek to hold sway, regardless of his true wishes. He has subjugated his own needs and wants. While Malek has always treated him well and loves him deeply, they have never truly disagreed because Devlin simply puts his own feelings away. Devlin has only been stubborn in small insignificant things. In some ways, he has done Malek a disservice by doing this. It has allowed Malek to become more arrogant and prideful." _ She sighed heavily, seeing difficult times ahead before this entire situation would be resolved.

_"As for the beginning, yes, I have found it. When Devlin was thirteen, his father became an ambassador from his home world, Austalan, to Spartania. He was a very handsome boy, Merdwin. Polite, well-behaved, and courteous, and as most of the population of Austalan, he had great respect for his elders." _

Merdwin heard her sigh sadly before continuing, _"Two years after that posting, there were growing tensions between the two worlds. Jasperon, a senator of Spartania, coveted Devlin and although Dev did not know why, the man made him very uncomfortable. He told his father and his father took him seriously, knowing the marriage habits of Spartania. He made arrangements to leave." _

_"Years later, Jasperon taunted him with the fact that he was the one who had Devlin's parents murdered, in order to get to Devlin. He had a body substituted for Devlin's, mutilated beyond recognition, and then he returned the three bodies to Austalan. No one ever came looking for him because the authorities had his body. Jasperon had a medical report proving through testing that they were Dev's remains. They were not, of course, but he had blood and tissue samples taken from Devlin, so what they sent to Austalan in the report was true, as far as it went. The tissue samples were from Devlin. They were not from the body that was returned, and thus his crime was never discovered." _Merdwin felt the tension in her as she made her way to the next memories.

_"He was kept confined, beaten, and starved for two years, until he agreed to marry Jasperon's daughter the day before his eighteenth birthday. At which point we both know what happened. Devlin had no idea. Jasperon kept Devlin completely sequestered, and he had no idea of their marriage customs. He had assumed that turning eighteen and marrying would win him his freedom. Instead, he became Jasperon's property, as you know, in all ways. Jasperon was a cruel man in many ways, but none so much as in his sexual tastes. The man was completely depraved and without conscience." _

Merdwin could feel that very tight rein she was keeping upon her emotions as she told him,_ "Devlin suspects that he had his wife murdered he also believes that he gave his daughter to the Jaffa in order to make his own escape when they learned that a System Lord was taking their planet and killing the people. He thinks that the man had a special area where he could stay hidden in times of turmoil. I agree with him, for he is the type that would do that and tell no one else its whereabouts so as to keep it only for himself. He simply abandoned his daughter and Devlin to the Jaffa."_

_"Devlin was forced to service both his wife and his father-in-law, often. Once the two children were born, he gave his daughter her freedom from that burden, and she became even more vain and uncaring. He allowed Devlin to be with his children as often as he desired, as long as he did exactly as his father-in-law ordered. Consequently, he moved him into a rather sumptuous boudoir, chained, and used whenever Jasperon wished, but as long as he had access to his children, he was obedient. I will not go into the details of the scenes, if you do not mind, Merdwin. Trust me, they are horrendous," _Kataya recounted more of his history and her voice shook with her effort to remain unmoved by the horrors he survived.

_"What of his meeting and blending with Malek, Kataya? How did it happen? Was the blending traumatic?" _Merdwin asked one of the important questions they needed to answer.

_"Malek was an operative and infiltrated the ranks of the Goa'uld that invaded Spartania. Malek was not generally required to go to the surface of a planet in the way he was this time. The System Lord in question was evidently suspicious of him for some reason, but Malek was never able to find out what occurred to expose him. He suspected that there was a spy in the Tok'Ra ranks, but that is somewhat rare, as you know. They are generally loyal for life. For whatever reason, he was dispatched to the planet's surface and became embroiled in the conflict. Unfortunately, during the fighting, his host sustained an injury that was too severe for him to survive; it was a fatal wound," _Kataya's voice took on the sadness that Devlin felt for Malek's pain and loss.

Recovering somewhat, she forged on briskly_, "However, that is neither here nor there. The point is that Malek's host was injured badly enough in the fighting that he was dying. The wound was serious enough that it would eventually cause death, but not immediately. They entered into the house where Devlin was because it appeared deserted. His host was asking him to find a new host, but Malek was determined to try to heal him or die with him, as he felt finding a new host would have been next to impossible in the situation, and, besides that, he felt a great deal of emotional connection to his host. The two of them were together for a very long time, as the host was quite young when they blended, and he was from a very long-lived race. Their joining would have continued for another fifty or sixty years if they could have stayed together." _ Merdwin could feel her sadness, but she still was not allowing the pain to flow into her, which was what he wanted her to do.

_Taking up the narrative again from where she left off, she stated, "He entered the house and proceeded up the stairs, rather than remain below, where there had been much carnage. He heard sounds from the room in which Devlin was sequestered. Dev was trying to free himself, but, of course, he could not. He had tried many times before. The chain, while not heavy, was still strong enough that Devlin's strength was not enough to break it; nor could he break the collar that he wore. Malek's host entered the room and asked him if anyone else was in the house. Dev did not know. They talked and Devlin realized the man was dying; he was getting weaker and weaker. He explained to Dev about the Tok'Ra, and how Malek would die with him without a new host." _

_"Devlin told him that he would willingly have taken him, but then he would just be as trapped there, as he was, waiting for the Jaffa to find and kill him, too. The man looked at the chain and smiled, telling him the chain would be no problem for Malek. It was not that strong a chain, and if he was serious, then he assured him that Malek could and would escape from there. He did not wish Malek to die with him, but to live on to fight another day against the evil that were the Goa'uld. After seeing the carnage and the deaths of his children, it was a sentiment that Devlin was in much sympathy with." _

Kataya stoically recited what she was accessing and seeing, _"Dev agreed on the condition that Malek never ask him any questions or access his memories of the last ten years. Which tells us that Devlin was twenty-five when Malek rescued him. He was under the torture of Jasperon for ten years, and used by him as a sex object for seven of those. Malek agreed that he would not attempt to access them or ask about his past life. Dev showed a great deal of trust in him even then, Merdwin, for when Malek told him to kiss him, he only hesitated for a moment. He has never regretted becoming Malek's host. Never. We must see to it that does not change, for their bond is deep and loving." _

Suddenly, Merdwin heard her laugh softly, before telling him, _"I am surprised he is as normal as he is, Mer, but there is no doubt that he is a very normal healthy man. The memory of his first time with a woman, which he alone chose, is delightful. He truly loves women, thanks to his own mother and father, no doubt." _

Merdwin could feel the tenderness flowing through her as she told him, _"Someone taught him to appreciate the feminine form and virtues, and it was certainly not Jasperon. From what I have seen of his parents, they were lovely people, warm, caring, and full of humor and fun. Therefore, we now know where he gets his outlook on life. He is a very strong individual, Merdwin, to have survived Jasperon and retained his father and mother's personality traits. It says a great deal about them and him, also. He is everything we could have wished in a son-in-law. If we can just get them beyond this, I believe that we will find both of them quite loveable and worthy of respect. After seeing this, I certainly have a very deep respect for Devlin and I am quite sure it will extend to Malek…when he becomes completely sane again." _

She paused before informing him, _"Devlin's memories would lead one to know Malek as a loving, caring mate. While his reaction is not out of line with his personality, the length of time it has continued is very much out of character for him. I am much concerned that the hormones and chemicals are not allowing him to become rational." _

Her sadness flowed down their link before she questioned him, asking, _"Do you wish me to begin with the pain from his parents' death and his captivity? Perhaps in sequence would be the most logical way to do this. It will not dull the most intense of his pain, for that is for the loss of his children, but it will allow him to find out how this works without him having to bring memories that cause him truly terrible pain to the surface. Once he realizes that it works, he will not be so reluctant to look at the more painful memories as he might otherwise be. As a demonstration of what will happen, it might be best. What do you think?" _

_"I think that is a logical way to go about it. You are usually very good at doing this, Kat. Follow your instinct, Amat Wyn," _Merdwin softly assured her of his belief in her abilities and the good that she would do for them.

_"It is quite obvious that he has accessed the memories of his children lately, Merdwin. I do not think that he delved deeply or allowed himself to dwell on them, but he has touched their memories very recently. He has also been thinking of Gwennetha and their kittdren. He feels strongly that Malek will not allow them to reconcile any time soon. He is—very unhappy about not being there, as they grow up, but thankful that they will receive the same type of love and care that he did as a child. Those thoughts, too, are very recent."_

_"I imagine that happened during our discussion. It was probably the deciding factor that allowed him to accept our offer. To ease the pain of his lost children, both born and unborn, would mean a great deal to him_. _ In addition, he is very fearful of Malek finding out about his past," _Merdwin told her what he felt coming from Devlin during their fairly brief talk._ Do you believe, from what you have seen of Devlin's memories of Malek that he would react negatively to finding out any of this?"_

She did not reply immediately, as if she was considering something, then she finally said,_ "I do not know for sure, but let me look a little deeper. Devlin is so very afraid that Malek would despise him if he found out that it is difficult to determine what Malek's attitude truly is, and what parts are Dev's fears. If I am reading these memories and feelings correctly, and I believe I am, then Malek would hold none of it against him. He certainly would not despise him," _She hesitated once more, but briefly, before assuring him, _"Malek loves Dev very deeply, Merdwin. I do not believe anything would make him love or respect him less. It simply is not in his feelings to do so." _

_"I am going to begin, Merdwin. I know what I need to do and I can access it quite easily as none of them are buried deeply. If I begin with the earlier memories and work my way forward, it will be less traumatic on him as he brings them to mind to check the pain levels that are left when I have finished with this session."_

_"Do not overextend yourself, Kataya. I have told Dev that we will do it in several sessions, and I expect you to use common sense. I know you, and you would absorb it all at once, if you had your way, but there is no reason to do so," _Merdwin instructed her firmly.

Kataya sighed before reminding him, _"If something traumatic happens, it could and very probably would, pull the most agonizing memories forward, and he would be in great pain, Merdwin. I am not sure what would happen to him if that occurred. He could very well retreat beyond what Malek could recall, especially in the mentally unstable condition in which Malek is living at the moment."_

_"True, but we will simply have to hope that nothing that traumatic happens until you finish," Merdwin told her calmly. _

_She nodded, giving in to him, for in all honestly he was correct, and to take all of Devlin's emotional pain, as much of it as there was, would deplete her very badly. Sighing again, she told him softly, "All right. If you insist."_

_"I do, Kataya. You are not yet physically recovered. You will take care of yourself," He told her, his voice implacable. _

Merdwin felt her contact him emotionally. She would not allow the pain to bleed through to him, but he would be able to _see_ her and the amount of pain that she was taking. He would keep a close eye on her and stop her himself, if he thought she was taking too much at once.

* * *

Dev opened his eyes and frowned up into Merdwin's deep blue ones. "I thought you were going to go into my memories, Merdwin," he said, as he realized that Malek was still sleeping peacefully.

"We are finished for today, Dev. Please access the memory of your parents' deaths." Merdwin watched Dev's eyes darken with fear. "You should be able to access the memory, but most of the intense pain and the other emotions that you usually feel should be very muted now. Please try."

Dev nodded his head and closed his eyes. Next, he sat up and looked back at Merdwin. "There is still sorrow, but no longer the deep physical pain that I always felt when I thought of their deaths at his hands."

Merdwin nodded. "Then it was successful. Kataya worked on those memories, and most of the memories from your fifteenth and sixteenth years. She will be working from the oldest of those memories towards the time that you blended with Malek. She wanted me to tell you that nothing she saw has changed her feelings about you, other than to give her even more respect and admiration for you. She is truly amazed that you have retained the ability to see the humorous side of situations and life, and she admires that trait in you. She also wished me to assure you that from what she saw, there was no way you could have done anything about the situation that you found yourself in. You fought long and hard, but you never had a chance to escape, and you should stop blaming yourself for a failure that could never have been anything else."

"I did not enter with her, Devlin. She felt it would be better if only she went, so that you would know that what she saw and felt was between the two of you. I agreed with her, as I know that the idea of me seeing those things upset you. She explained what she saw, but she did not go into detail."

"Thank her for me, please, Merdwin."

"I will. I am going to allow Malek to awaken now, if he is ready to, Dev, if that is alright."

"Yes, please do. I feel guilty about keeping him asleep for so long, as it is."

"It did not harm him; he is not resting at all, unless I help him to sleep, so it will actually be good for him."

Devlin smiled. "While I agree with you, I do not believe that you should tell him that you put us both to sleep for any reason other than to stop the nausea."

Merdwin laughed softly, "Do not worry, Dev. I will not."

Dev had no idea how Merdwin managed to put them to sleep or to allow them to awaken. He never appeared to do anything at all. One minute, they would be lying in the bed feeling terrible, usually after having attempted yet again to empty a stomach that held almost nothing, and the next minute they would be awakening.

If they were very lucky and did not move much, they could sometimes go for a few hours without becoming violently ill again. They were managing to keep some water down from time to time, but food was not possible at all, and they did not want any, anyway. However, they were growing progressively weaker. Devlin could feel it when he stood to go and attempt to empty their stomach, and Malek was saying almost nothing to him other than to moan or curse Gwennetha for doing this to them.

He knew that a crisis was coming. He could feel it within himself and the tension he was becoming aware of that was emanating from Merdwin. Strange that he could feel it, for to look at him was to see the same calm unflappable demeanor that was always there.

Something would have to be done soon or, he assumed, they could die. He had realized it on a subconscious level for several days now, and today he knew it to be true. Malek wanted to die, much as he had said that Lantash had when Kataya left him. In a way, it was the same thing. Gwennetha, as far as Malek was concerned, was gone. Contrarily, while he would not forgive her, neither did he wish to live without her.

Dev sighed to himself. It was all so complicated, but it did not have to be. If only Malek would remember their vows to her and the unwavering faith that they had promised her, he could get over this. He was refusing to even think of it, though, so talking to him about it was pointless.

He did not want to live without Gwennetha either, but if he knew she was somewhere in their universe and raising their children, he thought he could bear it. But, if Malek wished to die, then he would die with him, for he had no wish to live if neither of them were in his life.

Moreover, he did not know how to snap Malek out of his slow slide toward that very end. Somehow, he did not think that the Furling would actually allow him to starve them to death, but so far, they had taken no definitive action against that. He was puzzled and somewhat surprised. Perhaps, they were waiting to see if he would come around on his own, feeling that it would be better if he did.

Dev realized that he, himself, was feeling deep despair, and as he had done all those years ago when his entire life consisted of things that threatened to overwhelm him, he slipped into the back of his own mind, distancing himself from everything going on around him.

He was only vaguely aware of Malek getting up to go to the bathroom. The tea that he had drunk earlier when he had been talking to Merdwin had worn off. They were feeling quite ill again. He allowed Malek to take his body and attempt to empty his stomach.

Waves of anguish washed over him from Malek as he finished the first round of heaving, so he forced himself to leave his seclusion in the back of his mind. Pushing his own despair away, he came forward, put his arms around Malek, and hugged him as hard as he could, sending mental caresses, caring touches, and all the love he felt for him.

Malek had been everything that was good for him, he would not let him down when he needed him, and he needed him now. Malek was a part of his soul, his heart, and never would he desert him or allow him to mourn so, without going to comfort him, no matter the cost to himself.

Thirty minutes later, as they leaned weakly against the wall after the passing of the last wave of nausea, both of them became aware of voices in the other room. Normally, by now, Merdwin would have been checking on them, perhaps offering Malek some of the tea that he would again refuse.

It sounded like Kataya was with him, but she and Merdwin were speaking in whispers, obviously having no intention of being overheard, and assuming the two of them were still being vilely unwell and therefore safely out of hearing range. Even so, both of them were aware of the grief in her voice and the aching tones in which Merdwin answered her. It was obvious that something was very, very wrong.

Getting up quietly from the floor, they made their way toward the door until they could hear what they were saying. Symbiote-enhanced hearing allowed them the increase in range that they needed to stay out of sight, yet still be able to hear what they were saying. Suspecting that whatever it was concerned Gwennetha, and possibly, themselves, they felt no guilt for eavesdropping. However, neither was prepared for what they heard.

"When did he petition the All? Was it specific or general?" Merdwin was asking, his pain evident in the ache in his voice.

"Father believes that it was unintentional from the wording. Whether he meant to or not, the result is the same. Moreover, Gwennetha pleaded guilty to all counts. There is no recourse for her after doing that, Merdwin; you know that. There will be no trial, the All will judge and pass sentence, unless…but it is pointless to think of that, for if Malek was going to forgive her, he would have done so by now, and you know, as well as I, that it may even be too late for him to forgive her. The charges were made and recorded."

"Why, Kataya? Why did she give no defense, and why did Artereos permit this?"

"Father tried to convince her to ask for a stay, for time to prepare a defense, but she would not. He could not stop her, Merdwin; she is an adult and must make her own choices. She feels that she deserves it, for she did forget to explain it to them. She feels very strongly that she is the one at fault in that part, and this is the only way that she can atone for what she has done."

"However, I believe there is another truth, Merdwin. I am not sure she wishes to live. She is so disillusioned and hurt by Malek and Devlin turning on her in this way, when they had promised her unwavering faith as part of their vows to her that I believe she simply wishes to leave the world and not return anyway."

"While she is guilty of not telling them, she also knows that it was not deliberate on her part, and that she would never have willingly hurt them in any way. They are her light and her life, and without them, she feels she has nothing. In addition, although, I do not wish to lose my daughter in this, or any other way, I know the feelings she is having all too well, for I lived them myself with the death of Dayillon and the loss of Lantash when we had to part. I cannot fault her for not caring if she lives or not."

"Malek has repudiated her, to him, she is already gone, and as you know, he has not even asked Devlin what his wishes are, so as far as Gwennetha knows, Devlin has also turned from her. She feels that she is dead to them already, so she should give them that which they so ardently desire."

"When? When will it be done?"

"Seven days," Kataya answered dully. "Seven days, and if Malek and Dev do not begin drinking the tea and gaining some strength in that time, then the sentence is a foregone conclusion."

"The All will not accept the trading of the kits' life for Malek and Dev's, so unless they begin to gain strength, all that can be done is to sever that tie by eliminating the kits. Even if we take Malek and Dev to Avilion and put them into a living death for the term of her pregnancy, the All will still take her life, although, there would be a slim chance that it might allow the kits to be born."

"Perhaps Malek would agree to that, but I have my doubts. I believe that he wishes to die, and I believe that you are aware of that, also. He can forgive neither himself nor her, and I am not even sure he realizes that he is as furious with himself as he is with her. I doubt it."

"It is irrelevant as well, for as long as he repudiates her, the All will see to it that he is freed. You know, as well as I, that breaking the soul-threads will be enough to kill her, and since she was the one that deceived them, and the kits must die to save them, she is at fault for their deaths, and not just death, but there is every chance she would be forced into non-existence as her penalty."

"The kits will be taken from her and she will die during that, unless something happens to change it. The only thing that will not be known is whether or how long she will be put into non-existence. It could be for hundreds of years, as you know. Minimum will be non-existence for two hundred fifty years. More than likely, it will be much, much longer, for the death of the kits will be on her hands, unless Malek and Dev…but we have already gone over that," she murmured despairingly.

"Merdwin, Devlin must never know what has happened. We must let him believe that Gwennetha returned to Cadwaellon to have the kits. If he finds out that her life and that of the kits were forfeit for his and Malek's…" Her voice trailed off and taking a deep breath, she added, "He must never know that he lost a second set of children."

They could tell that Kataya was crying softly. Malek was in shock, asking himself questions to which he had no answers. He became aware of Devlin huddling in their mind, moaning in anguish, as thoughts of what Gwennetha must have been feeling because of her belief that he, they, no longer loved her.

Then, as the remainder of the conversation forced its way into Devlin's mind, scenes from his past rolled over not only himself, but Malek as well. In addition, he kept repeating two words, names, over and over. Marisa and Janison. Along with the names came flashes of two beautiful children, playing on the floor in the room where Malek had found him. Dev was playing with them, the love he felt for them overwhelming them both. Both of them looked so much like Devlin that there could be no question of whose children they were.

Then came the pain and the scenes of that long ago day, when Malek had found and freed him. He saw those same two children killed by the Jaffa, as he watched. The pain was so intense that it took Malek's breath away, and he leaned against the wall as he slowly slid to his knees, unable to stand under the onslaught of pain-filled memories.

Forcing himself to try to push through the pain, he began to try to call to Dev, to bring him out of that dark place in his mind. However, Devlin did not seem to hear him. Instead, this last trauma had released every memory that he had buried and kept away from Malek for all the years that they had been blended. Memories of Dev's life, before Malek had come into it and freed him from the prison that he had been in for ten long years, flooded their shared consciousness.

Malek found himself fighting to keep from screaming as wave after wave of emotional pain, so intense that it manifested physically, coursed through them until he reached the blending with himself. Then there were years of gratitude, love, and unwavering loyalty, so deep they seemed bottomless, before he was thrown into the vortex of emotional pain again, this time, over what was happening with Gwennetha.

He braced himself as it washed over them. The remorse was so deep and bitter that he could taste it, and the pain was so deep that he felt as if he could not breathe. How did any being survive such intensely painful emotions?

In addition, for the first time, Malek saw the night Gwennetha conceived through Devlin's eyes, not as an attack and forced sexual acts, but as a night full of love and erotic playing. A night where they had been pleasured beyond their wildest dreams, and loved until they thought they could stand no more, only to prove that they not only could, but wished to continue. A night so erotic and pleasurable it was more than they had ever dreamed was possible. He saw himself bite her until the blood ran down her neck and her shoulders, as his fingers clenched her tightly, leaving marks upon her skin, in her flesh, and still, she welcomed him joyfully and loved him long and sweetly.

He felt the slight sting of the raking of her nails that was then replaced by the sweet feel of her body closing around them, bathing them in silken moisture that soothed, and aroused all at the same time. He felt her nails rake his back, buttocks, and thighs, but it was erotic, not painful, the scratches light, not deep, and she continued to love them until utter satiation claimed them. Then Merdwin and Valynara had awakened them from their temporarily sated sleep and moved them apart, explaining that they would exhaust each other if they did not separate, for Gwennetha was too young to have control over her cycle or her pheromones yet. Too young, too young, the phrase kept repeating, until the next memory pushed that revelation aside.

He recalled that rush of intense gladness and joy at the news that they would be fathers, happiness that he had discounted as unimportant. Devlin had been ecstatic. However, as Malek had become angrier and angrier, he had buried his feelings about it and retreated, never interfering, never questioning Malek, simply agreeing with him, because this was the way that Malek wanted it.

Moreover, what Malek wanted, desired, or needed was important to Dev. More than important, it was everything. He would gladly subjugate himself, and his needs and wants, if it made Malek happy and content. How many other times, Malek wondered, had Devlin put his own wishes and desires aside for Malek's? How many times had he not voiced an opinion or changed his mind, simply because Malek wanted something different? At least Gwennetha had not been one of those. Devlin had been thrilled when Malek had wished to mate eternally with her. At least he had not had to give that up.

And now, it seemed that Devlin had retreated so far into his own mind that Malek could not reach him. He could not reach his other half, the other part of him that was forged to his soul, and which, together, became one whole from two separate beings. If what he heard was true, they were about to lose the mate of that forged soul. Somehow, he knew that he was the reason, and he had to set things right, but he did not know how.

Well, he had never lacked courage and he would need it all right now, for he had to face the parents of the woman, who, if he had understood what there were saying correctly, he had just condemned to death. Giving up on reaching Devlin for the moment, Malek dragged himself to his feet and stepped into the doorway.

The couple stood, oblivious to his presence as they mourned what was happening. Merdwin enfolded Kataya in his arms, her hands clasping the front of his shirt, as she cried quietly. The anguish on Merdwin's face matched that in Malek's soul. He had no idea where to start, what to say or do.

Sensing his presence, Merdwin turned slightly toward him, his expression wiped clean of emotion and pain, showing nothing of the inner turmoil that was lurking there. Malek could tell that they would come up with some reason for Kataya's tears unless he stopped them.

"There is no need to think up a reason for your tears; we heard you. Devlin is – he," Malek swallowed convulsively before trying again. "He has closed himself off from me in a corner of his mind and he will not answer me. I – I do not know what to do for him, or – or for myself," he finished on a whisper. "I am – lost."

Kataya stood away from Merdwin as he went toward the man standing in the doorway looking so lost and frightened.

"I am sorry that you overheard us, Malek. It is unfortunate that Devlin had to hear this. Come sit on the bed before you collapse. You do not look well. I assume you are still feeling nauseated. Would you like some of the tea for it? It will help, I assure you." Merdwin asked quietly, injecting the situation with a mundane and common question to try to diffuse it and keep things as calm as possible. It would also be interesting to see what response the question received this time. Another refusal did not bode well for the future.

"I – I don't know." As he stared at the floor, his mind trying to grapple with the information that he had just received, he realized that this was important. His refusal of the tea and their weakening condition was important in the situation. They had said that his refusal was why the All would take the kits. He could feel the panic building within himself. He looked at Merdwin, confusion, pain, and awakening fear in his eyes, as he said haltingly, stumbling over his words, "Yes. Y-yes, please, I-I would. Thank you."

"I will get some for you, Malek. Please try to stay calm, for if you panic, it will only make things worse on Devlin," Kataya said, as quietly as Merdwin had.

She watched him nod his head, but it was a jerky motion, indicating that his control was tenuous at best.

This was a beginning. Malek was beginning to realize that this was serious. He could lose everything and he cared too much for Gwennetha to lose her in this way. She and Merdwin would do what they could to encourage his response. Perhaps the week would prove long enough to bring about a change. Time alone would tell.

She truly hated that Devlin had to live through the pain of those memories. There was no doubt that they had broken loose and swamped both Dev and Malek. They had barely been below the surface in Dev's mind as it was; any trauma would release them. Malek looked completely stunned, almost traumatized by the scenes that had no doubt played out in his mind.

What's more, as much as she loved her new sons, Malek deserved this pain, and if it took this trauma to make him realize what he was throwing away, then she would inflict it with little remorse. Except for Devlin, but Dev she would help soon. She hurried to the small transport area and it whisked her to the kitchen area in order to procure them some fresh tea.

In the room she left behind, Malek shakily pushed one hand through his hair while the other clenched the linens on the bed, his emotions chasing one another across his face. Despair seemed to be there most often, and Merdwin allowed him a few minutes to think before he went to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, calming his agitation.

"I suggest that you relax against the headboard, Malek. Kataya will return soon with the fresh warm tea, and it will help your nausea."

"The nausea has suddenly become the least of my problems, though, has it not, Merdwin? I have lost both of my Soulmates through my own carelessness. Is there anything more bitter in this universe than to know you have lost everything you hold most dear, and you have only yourself to blame?"

"No, there is not, that is true. However, we do not know that you have lost them permanently, only that they are lost within their pain, as you are, and that the future does not look promising. We do not know that it is unchangeable."

"I am the one that has caused this, am I not? I am the one that has caused the All to call Gwennetha before them. I do not know how I did it, or how to stop it, Merdwin. I do not want anything to happen to Gwennetha or the - the, kits."

Thinking, searching his mind for an explanation, he finally asked, "My anger has caused this, has it not? My stupid, irrational ravings and inability to forgive her for something that truly was not her fault have caused this to happen."

"I thought that she hurt Devlin, but she did not, at least not in his eyes, and it is his body; he has the right to view what happened any way that he wishes to. I refused to allow him that right. I took that away from him, as I believe that I have taken so many things away over the years. I am surprised he has stayed blended with me."

"I am not. Devlin loves you deeply. His loyalty to you runs even deeper than his love of Gwennetha. That is how it must be, Malek. You and Devlin are two halves of a whole and you must support each other before all others. I doubt that Gwennetha has considered that, for she is not thinking clearly, either. Her refusal to put up any defense against the charges is proof that is so."

"I do not know what to do, Merdwin. Please, tell me what to do. I never intended to petition for anything, I swear. I want to revoke it. I must find out how to do so." Malek said, anguish plain in his voice.

Merdwin looked back at him and internally breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling wryly to himself, he thought, _trust the All to take the strands and untangle them_. He just wished that it had waited another day or two, so that they could have spared Devlin most of the pain he was going through. Then again, perhaps the All wanted Malek to experience Devlin's pain, and that is why it chose today to put the chain of events into action. By this time tomorrow or the next day, Kataya would have absorbed and muted a great deal of it.

Malek would not be let off lightly, for he had broken his vows to his mate. He had not yet realized that, of course, and at the moment, he was overwhelmed. His realization would come soon enough. In the meantime, Merdwin knew that he needed to contact Artereos to be sure that his suspicions were correct as well, before he said anything, if he said anything. Kataya, too, would have realized by now that the seven days had been given with this result in mind. Moreover, the two of them had played their part. Symbiote hearing was enhanced, but then, so was a cat's.

He hated allowing Devlin to suffer, but Malek must realize the seriousness of what had occurred. "I wish that I could tell you, Malek, but I do not know. Since you overheard so much, then you are aware of what has occurred. Gwennetha was summoned, for you placed charges against her, which she answered, pleading guilty to all counts."

"The deception charge is a serious one, for you became bonded mates with it between you, but it would not have been so serious as it is now. The complication is the kits. You and Devlin are getting weaker by the day. You have refused the tea, which would enable you to begin to eat and gain strength. The All will not allow the kits to live at your expense. It will not take your lives for theirs."

"For that, she will be put into a state of non-existence, probably for hundreds of years. The kits will be taken, unless you agree to go into a living death until they are born. The All _might_ agree to that, to save them, then they will take her, and the sentence will be lighter. No more than a few hundred years probably."

"But, she did not do it deliberately," Malek whispered. "I did not understand. It cannot be allowed to do this to her."

Then, his voice getting stronger, he added, "I cannot allow this to happen, Merdwin, no matter what it takes, it must not be allowed to happen." He added bitterly, "I thought the All was goodness. This is a terrible, evil thing that it is going to do."

"The All is being neither good nor evil in this instance, Malek. You petitioned to have your soul-threads returned due to deception on Gwennetha's part. That is a legitimate reason to ask to be freed from your Soulmate. She pled guilty to the charge, therefore, the All must pass sentence on her word and _yours."_

"She gave no defense, so while the All might have mitigated the sentence due to the circumstances, because Gwennetha felt so deeply that she had indeed harmed you both, and knew from your attitudes to her that you truly no longer loved her, she refused to defend herself, choosing instead to accept the full punishment permitted under our laws."

"The easiest way for her to return your soul-threads is to die. It could take them from her while she lives, but since she is not a First-born, it would no doubt kill her anyway. Morgasha barely survived it when I requested my soul-threads, and the only reason that she survived was the fact that she had the regenerative power of a First-born."

"Then how do I stop it? Surely, if I am the one that petitioned, then I can recall it - stop it? Tell me how." Malek pleaded.

Merdwin shook his head slowly. "If I knew how, I would tell you, Malek. Until I speak to Artereos, I will know nothing, for I was not aware of the summons until it was over. Artereos attended with Gwennetha. Kataya will return shortly, and I will go and talk to him, then." He soothed him slightly. "I suggest that you attempt to make some type of contact with Devlin, and see if you can calm him. You may have to allow Kataya to approach him through your joined minds."

"I will do anything, whatever I have to do, to stop this, and to help Devlin."

"And what of my daughter, Malek? What are you going to offer to her to make up for your lack of faith and trust?" Merdwin asked, as he looked deeply into Malek's eyes. Watching the pain flare there, he was satisfied with the response. It would be painful for him, but Malek had much for which to make up to both Devlin and Gwennetha. For not only had he lost faith in the mate of his soul, he had not allowed her other mate to go to her, as he truly wished to do. He looked at him steadily, waiting for the entirety of the situation to hit him.

"It is not just a matter of the All stopping it, is it, Merdwin? Even if I can get that accomplished, I still have to convince Gwennetha that I still love her. Moreover, she will not believe me. The only thing that she asked of me, I failed to do. Unwavering faith in her and her love, and part of that was trust that she would never intentionally hurt either Devlin or myself."

"I have failed them both. And, I have no way to win either of them back." He looked at Merdwin with eyes full of bleak, black despair. Then moaning from the pain of his realization, as well as the acute nausea bringing the bile into his throat, he headed for the bathroom again. This time, the nausea was not from the pregnancy, he could tell. This time, it was from the feeling of disgust that he felt with himself.

* * *

Kataya entered the room and raised an eyebrow at Merdwin, who nodded his head toward the bathroom.

"Has Devlin recovered at all, Merdwin?" She asked quietly.

"Not that I know of." He frowned. "You may get your wish. I had hoped that when the crisis played out, he would have been better able to handle it. Unfortunately, it came upon us more suddenly than I had anticipated."

"Do not blame yourself, _Caruswyn_. I will go in and see what I can do for him. Have they been back in the bathroom long?"

"Not really, and I do not think that this nausea is from the kits. I believe that it is from Malek's realization that he has no one, but himself, to blame for what is happening. The kits are simply making it so that he cannot control it and in his present state of mind, I am not sure he would try, anyway. What better way to punish himself?"

She sighed deeply, saying, "We both hoped that he would realize what he was doing on his own. That he did not is no one's fault. We knew all along what Malek's response to this would be. He is a wonderful being in many ways, with many, many loveable and admirable traits, but his Goa'uld genes tend him to see the world in an arrogant, self-centric manner. They cannot help it, for the most part, and although most Tok'Ra do learn the lesson at some point, it is not an easy lesson for them to learn and often entails much emotional pain."

She turned and went to the doorway, calling to Malek, "Your tea is here, Malek. Are you well enough to come and try to sip some?" Hearing him retch again, she sighed again. "Evidently not," she remarked to Merdwin before entering the room, wetting a cloth, and going to kneel beside him.

"Malek, you are making yourself more ill. You must start to get better, and if you allow your despair to do this to you, it will not help you, Devlin, or Gwennetha. Come, let me wipe your face, then we will go and relax on the bed and slowly sip some of the tea. Then, if Devlin is still not responding, I will go in to him and attempt to bring him back to you. All right? Now, come."

She coaxed him as if he was a small child, and Malek surprised himself by relaxing against her for a moment as she used the cloth and talked soothingly, and then by doing as she suggested and following her into the other room, the nausea at least muted for the moment. "As I told Merdwin, the nausea seems to have become the least of my concerns," he said quietly.

"That may be true up to a point, but it is necessary for you to overcome it, in order for you to gain strength. Once you begin to do that, we may find that we have more time to work through all of this, but, first, the All must know you do not intend to allow yourself to die. Only then will it not take the kits from you." She pointed out softly.

"But unless I can find a way out of this, it will still take Gwennetha. I do not think that I could bear that to happen."

Ignoring his last comment, she said, "Sip this. Very small sips until you become somewhat accustomed to the taste, and then you can take slightly larger sips. You will find that the nausea will recede. It will still bother you on and off, but you can keep most of it controlled with this. And once you have stopped fighting it, your body will begin to assimilate and learn to control the hormones until they finally leave your body."

"Do they leave it?" Malek asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes. It takes time, but they do leave, and in the meantime, your body adjusts. Two months at the most, then you will be quite well again, I promise you."

"How-how long before the, our, kits are born if - when, _when_ I get this situation stopped?"

"They come in four to five months, Malek. It will not be long."

"Gwennetha, has, is," Malek swallowed hard before continuing, "has she been very ill, too?" He finally managed to whisper.

Kataya did not answer at first, but as she saw the panic begin to grow again in his eyes, she brought herself to say calmly, "Gwennetha has been quite ill, also, Malek. The emotional strain has taken a toll on her, and her health is precarious at the moment. In the end, it may not matter, however, so there is no point in dwelling on that now. You must begin to take control of your own physical health. When she knows that you are beginning to recover, it will help her. So, since your health is important for her well-being, perhaps you will do better at controlling your nausea."

Nodding, he said, "Yes. I will. It is imperative that I begin to do what must be done for her and for Devlin, and I will do so."

Looking around, Malek realized that Merdwin was gone. "Has Merdwin gone to talk to Artereos to find out how I can stop this from happening?" He asked quietly.

"I do not know, Malek. Possibly, however, he may have gone to check on Gwennetha. She and her father have always been very close and he will perhaps be able to give her some much-needed comfort. She is very distressed at the thought of losing the kits. She was - _pleased_ - about the kits, regardless of how she conceived them. _Your kittdren _and hers." Kataya said, softly and gently, as she watched Malek's eyes darken even more with the pain of that thought also, before saying, "I wish to enter your mind and talk to Devlin, please, if you do not mind. I will do it as soon as you finish your tea, but I prefer that you not be awake. I assure you that I wish to talk to Devlin only. I will not be going through any of your private thoughts or memories; you have my word."

Malek looked startled, then he grimaced as he realized that she wished to talk privately with Devlin. He nodded his agreement. Both Merdwin and Kataya were being kinder than he deserved. If she had said she wanted to see every memory and delve into every corner of his mind so she could put them up in the most prominent place she could find for all to survey, he would probably have agreed. "Kataya, why do you not berate me as I deserve?"

"Tell me, Malek, do you believe that I could improve on what you are telling yourself? Could I cause you to feel differently in any way than you do? Will allowing my anguish and pain at what you have done to the three of you, allow either you or I, to feel less pain, or more? I believe it would gain nothing, but it would cause you and possibly myself, more pain. I believe you are suffering as it is; you do not need me to prod the injury and cause more."

"Now, if you have finished your tea, I will help you to sleep so that I may try to help Devlin with his pain. He never wanted you to know what was in his past. I believe that this has released those memories, though, and that is why he will not respond to you."

"He is embarrassed, humiliated, and in great fear that you will despise him. He has always feared you would despise him, for what was done to him and, for what he allowed to happen so that he might keep his children. I neither know nor care at this point, if he was right or wrong, I simply wish to help him to live through his pain, and perhaps, to take as much of it from him as I can."

Reaching forward, Malek grasped her hand tightly. "You are correct, and I had no idea that his life before I found him was like that. It explains some of the odd dreams he has had from time to time. I always assumed that he was a slave that kept trying to escape, or that he was perhaps the toy of the mistress of the house. I never thought - it never entered my mind that…dear universe, Kataya," he whispered urgently, "how has he lived with those memories? He was so very young when it happened. I never once thought about his position there as being that kind of slave, but I would never have blamed him for what happened to him. The memories that I saw told the story plainly. He could not have escaped, and I do not blame him for wanting to keep his children safe and cared for, or for wanting to be with them."

"He is not answering or communicating with me in any way. It is as if he has shut himself off from me completely, as if I am no longer here, and I will not force him to acknowledge me. Please, tell him - tell him that there is nothing in this universe that could cause me to despise him. I love him deeply, and I would never hold the things I saw against him. He did what he had to do, and I understand that. Please tell him," he pleaded softly. Then looking at her, his eyes bleak and his voice full of self-loathing, he said, "Assure him that I have learned my lesson well. There will be no wavering on my part, no lessening of my love or faith in him, no matter what, ever."

"They are brave words, Malek, but only words, after all. I will do my best to reassure him."

"It will not be easy. That is what you are thinking. I promised Gwennetha unwavering faith, and I failed her. Devlin knows that, and he will no longer trust me," he mourned, feeling all the bitterness of his situation.

"Whatever it takes, Kataya. I will do whatever it takes, to stop this and to bring them back together, to relieve Devlin of the hell that he is in, to stop the All from sentencing Gwennetha. I swear to you and to them. Anything."

She nodded and looked down at him. She settled on the edge of the bed next to him and began a rhythmic combing of his hair with her fingers as she gazed steadily into his eyes, letting him fall into the violet Mysts in hers.

Whatever it took, he did not care. He was willing to do anything to release Devlin from his personal hell and stop this sentencing against Gwennetha. The last thought he had as he drifted off was that same litany. He would do anything to atone for what he had done, no matter what it took. _Anything._

TBC


	13. Of Legends, Poems, & Love Songs 13 DOTQ

**_Chapter Thirteen Summary:_**_ The group looking through the masses of materials sent by Artereos continues to search, and Sam finds a legend that foretells the coming of Egeria...and her daughters. Daur'rin remembers a poem that she feels is more than just a love poem. Lantash remembers it well, and he surprises them all when he "recites" it for them. Daniel begins to hunt frantically through the papers on his desk, as he, also, makes an important discovery related to it._

**_Amat Wyn_**_ - My Love_

**_"Italics"_**_ – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

_**Chapter Thirteen  
**_

_**Of Legends, Poems, and Love Songs**_

* * *

Sam moved on to the next legend in the book she was reading and sighed. It would really be nice to find something that would lead them forward at least a little bit. So far, they didn't have anything to go on at all. She turned her attention back to the book in her lap and began reading.

* * *

_As we know, once there was a land where the Mysts of the All gave birth to a race of beings, which were given the task of guardianship. And this race, which we claim as ours, was pagan, savage, cruel and vicious, in their ignorance and vice. So, the Mysts began to teach them that which would raise them from what they were, unto that which they were to become. The Mysts gave the great cats of their world guardianship of them, and they were protected and taught by them, also, as they grew and learned. And they became known as the Furling, the Clan of the Great Cats and the First-born children of the All. _

_The Cats taught them that which they needed to know to be formidable warriors as well as walkers of the All. The Pantherataya taught them of stealth, and quickness; the Lionkatanar of power and courage; the Leopadra of cunning, the Tigrelsabra, of strength, and the Pumaterra of patience. They taught them to use their ability to see beyond that which is seen, and hear beyond that which is heard, so that they might walk the All without fear and learn its many mysteries. _

_With the guidance of the Cats, the All became their second homeland. They knew it as well as they knew the mountains, the woodlands, the animals, and the arts of their homeworld, and they were as content to be there as they were among the world of the flesh. And, the All taught them of wisdom, justice, honor, and patience along with healing, the sciences and the arcane arts. Literature and art, sculpture, music, and dance followed as they became ever more civilized. And, the All gave unto the First-born the knowledge of the All upon their birthing from the Mysts. Thusly their life-lessons were given unto them, before they, in turn, brought forth into being their own children; those who would learn their life-lessons through living many lifetimes._

_And, as they learned that which they needed to know and civilization graced them, the Mysts lifted, and they began their exploration of the universe. Being Warriors, although not Conquerors, they fought many battles, and took many peoples under their protection. When the Elvinsten'ien Wars were won, then they began to protect their clans against a new scourge, an enemy whose form was that of a small dragon and in whose heart much evil dwelled._

_And it was written that far into the future, they would continue to fight their most formidable opponent, the small dragon whose heart was evil, as this evil continued enslaving the peoples of the light of the universe. But, into this battle between good and evil, a promise was made by the All and it was spoken thus._

_There shall be born among the small dragons, a Queen among Queens who, in time, will come to see that the ways of the small dragons are evil. And, she shall be accepted as a blended-mate unto one from the race of beings of the Myst time, the people of the Cat, who shall love her and teach her more than she knew. In the end, though it tears at her soul, she shall leave her blended-mate and go forth to give birth unto a new race of small dragons, who will keep good in their hearts, as their memories left to them by her, taught them. _

_And, the beings of the Mysts, will mate with the offspring of this queen of the small dragons both spiritually and carnally. They shall love the small dragons deeply and show them that they are beings of beauty in their own right, and need not arrogance to fulfill their destiny in the Light that is the All. _

_Still, sorrow will rain on these small dragons, as they learn the lessons needed to go forth and become all that they were meant to be. Only then, will they learn that which they need to learn, to join with the peoples of the light of the universe as truly blended-mates of the Soul. _

_It is from this Queen that others shall come who will continue the race, for that race shall be locked in deadly combat with the small dragons who are evil. Moreover, even as their numbers dwindle that generation of the small dragons whose hearts are good, will continue to fight. When the Great Battle has been fought, then shall the knowledge be given to the small dragons of the legacy their mother left for them. _

_It shall come to pass, that the last generations born shall in the aftermath of the Great Battle become one with the host of their body as the host of their body becomes one with them. This will be the joining the older generations bore much sorrow to learn, for their queen will have learned much in her time with her Blending-mate. _

_And so, it will be unto this, the last of her generations that the queen, knowing her time of getting offspring is coming to an end, will give all of her newfound memories of the Blending-mate and the completeness that is found therein. This is the legacy she will pass onto her Daughters that future generations may know without so much sorrow, that which she and her elder children learned through the Tears of the Ages and the Hallowed Passages of Time._

_And when the small dragons find the Heart-home of their mother, then shall the veil of the Mysts hiding the new queens begin to part and be lifted. Their consorts shall be called forth unto them, for the time will have come for them to bring forth the next generation of the small dragons whose hearts are good. _

_Look, therefore, to the Temple which lies beneath a Night Sky that wears the colors of the rainbow and Twilight is the beginning time…for here shall their journey to find those left behind begin._

_Queens unto Daughters; Daughters unto Queens. So shall it be. So mote it be. _

* * *

Sam held her breath as she finished reading, and then slowly letting it out, she said, her voice almost squeaky in its excitement, "I think I've found something. Not something that tells us where to look for the little queens, but something that tells about their coming. It's in this old Furling book of legends. The one that I would swear is in your handwriting. Here, look at this Daniel. Don't you think that looks like to your handwriting? Maybe a little more flourish-y."

Daniel took it and read it before passing it to Selmak and Lantash. "Yes, it does, Sam, and from what Artereos said, it probably is my writing."

"And you're right about the legend; that's definitely telling about Egeria. So, chances are that Artereos wasn't surprised at all to hear what we found. He knew all along it was out here, he just never knew where. Or we assume he never knew where. The truth, of course, may be something different. Sometimes, I think Artereos is omnipotent," Daniel grumbled good-naturedly. "That's also why Kataya was so adamant that there were queens out there. Artereos probably told her there was a legend that said there were queens, and even though it said they wouldn't be found until after the Great Battle, she hoped to be able to stumble on one anyway."

"It talks about the birth of the Furling, too, Daniel. It is actually very interesting. Do you know anything about the Elvinsten'ien Wars? It must have been a very long time ago," Selmak said thoughtfully.

Daniel frowned. "It rings a bell but I can't place it. Something tells me it was a war of what we would consider magik and enchantments as well as actual battle. Very brutal bloody battle is what I'm feeling. Kataya dedicated her life to fighting the Dark Mage Daemon Lords, as well as the Goa'uld, and any other evil in the universe. She and I would have fought in it, but I have no particular memories of it. Something tells me we'll find more information in here if you're interested."

"Yes, actually, I am, Daniel. It is fascinating to realize how ancient the Furling really are. Artereos is of the First-born, he and Merdwin. One wonders what they were like then? I mean, in one way it is rather difficult to picture a younger Artereos." Selmak said as he thought of what he must have been like.

"He looked very much as he does today, actually, but his hair was the same tawny gold and silver as Kataya's, rather than the white it is now. He has always been a very commanding figure. He was tall and muscular with broad shoulders and slender hips, as he still is today. His skin was the same beautiful shade it is now, his brows and lashes were just as long and dark surrounding those hypnotic deep green eyes, and his beautiful smile has always had the power to light up a room, just as Kataya's does. Kataya inherited the shape of his lips, too, although her mother also has a lovely smile. Kataya's mother," he said softly, obviously remembering something pleasant, "is a very, very beautiful woman. Kataya has always said she doesn't understand how she could have turned out so plain looking with such beautiful parents," Daniel said absently.

Realizing the room had become extremely quiet, with not so much as a page being turned, he looked up to see everyone staring at him, each with a stunned, dumbfounded look upon their faces. "What?" he asked.

Sam said, quietly, "Kataya is not plain, Daniel. She is a wonderful person and a lovely woman."

"I know. However, _she_ doesn't see herself that way, Sam. In her own eyes, she is just a warrior. She doesn't see herself as special in any way at all, nor does she realize that her beauty goes beneath the skin. It's part of her charm and part of my job is to convince her how beautiful she is. I enjoy it very much," he said, as he suddenly grinned at her. "Someday she will look in a mirror and see herself as she really is, Sam. Until then, I keep telling her and being rewarded. Works for me."

Lantash nodded. "I know what you are saying, Daniel. She has never believed she is anything but ordinary, and she is quite content to be so. I remember once she told me how very pleased she was that her daughters had inherited the beauty, but more importantly, they would be beautiful inside, and that was where it truly counted. It is the greatest gift she has ever given them, I believe. Just as her father and mother gave the gift of inner peace and beauty to her, so she passed it on to her children…just as she will pass it on to yours."

Lantash watched the cloud that passed over Daniel's features. He would speak to him soon about this. He was sure it had to do with Kataya blending again, and he needed to assure him that it was not necessary that Kataya blend when they found the queen. There were more than enough volunteers now to do so. However, even if she did, as long as Daniel was not blended, it would not stop her. Not only that. He was not sure it mattered if Daniel was blended. The Furling could suppress so much of the symbiote that he felt sure they could stop the symbiote from passing on the knowledge. Therefore, only that from Daniel might pass on but, perhaps, not even that, if his Furling abilities continued to grow. They would talk soon. Daniel would make a wonderful father, and he needed to have children. It would help to soothe the loss of his others. Not completely, of course, nothing would do that, but it would help.

Changing the subject he said, "We always forget, too, that you knew him many millennia ago. It is always a shock for us to realize that again."

Daniel grinned at him, saying, "It's a shock to _me_ when I say things like that, too, believe me."

Still picturing a more youthful looking Artereos, Selmak said, "Why does he look older? I assume that Merdwin looks much the same as he ever did. He appears to be no more than forty of your years, if that, actually, maybe more like thirty-five."

"Artereos allows himself to look as if he has aged. As the leader of his people, he felt it would just seem better. Of course, when you really look at him, you realize the only thing that makes him look older is his hair. He has no lines, no wrinkles. He muscles are very well toned. So, it's really no more than an illusion of age that he projects. If he allowed his hair to turn back, he would look the same as Merdwin, I imagine." His smile was soft as he thought about the Artereos of long ago. That he could bring him so quickly and sharply to mind was odd; however, he was glad that he could.

Looking back up at Selmak, he told him, "I remember him from when I was a very young child. He was always very interested in everything that was going on around him, and his energy seemed to be inexhaustible. He has always been a very caring man, and as I got older I realized that he truly was interested, he wasn't pretending to care about the sheep, or the roofs, or the healer that was having trouble mastering some technique. He really did care. He cared about his clan worlds, their people, and their lives, too. He was always just a very wonderful man, and I can see no change in him since then." Daniel's face was very soft with memories of different times he was with Artereos and Kataya. He had taken them fishing, swimming, hiking, all the things one did with one's children. He had vague memories of his own father from that time, but it was not clear and he wasn't sure why unless it was because he had now met Artereos but had not met his father. That made sense.

Selmak nodded, and a far-away look came into his eyes as he contemplated, with a sense of awe, the millennia of history the Furling had seen. Still they strove for good against evil as guardians of the All.

What a heavy burden to carry. The Tok'Ra thought they were warriors of great strength because they had been fighting for two thousand years. How many thousands of years had the Furling fought? And still, they continued. Perhaps, more than a little of the arrogance and pride the Tok'Ra felt in their continued war was misplaced. It was what they should do, no more, no less. They were all learning lessons that they should have learned a very long time ago.

_"About time, Sel,"_ Jacob broke into his reverie.

_"Yes. It is about time, Jacob, and if this legend is correct, our queen-mother learned it before she died. Her youngest children will have learned it through her. It is a thought that brings relief and contentment,"_ Selmak answered solemnly.

_"I hope Malek learns it before it is too late. I think the All is goodness, but I also think that it may have a low tolerance for arrogance," _Jacob's voice held caution.

_"And yet, neither Merdwin nor Artereos are without pride or arrogance,"_ Selmak replied.

_"True, but it's a different kind of arrogance. It doesn't stem from a feeling of superiority; it's simply an acceptance of themselves and who and what they are. It's not an unlikable trait in them,"_ Jacob said slowly, as he thought out what he was feeling.

_"True. And hopefully, by the time that the Tok'Ra are as old as they, we, too, will have learned to be comfortable with who and what we are,"_ Selmak responded.

Their attention came back to the group as they heard Daniel saying, "If this is in here then there's sure to be more. I think you, Selmak, and Daur'rin should start going through the information Merdwin brought from the Tok'Ra history archives. There may be some stuff in there. If any of them attract you as something that really strikes a chord within you, pay attention. I think that there was a trigger set to go off after the great battle if you participated, and as soon as you see something important, it's going to tell you so."

"I agree Daniel. I will go get the viewer and crystals," Lantash offered. As he stood to leave the room, he turned back for his cup of tea. Sighing he left, cup in hand. Sam smiled at Daniel, knowing that they were both thinking the same things. Lantash had surprised them both by his meek acceptance of the circumstances.

Of course, having lived through it before, he knew that there was no recourse. One survived it, and at the end, when they laid the children into your arms, it was all suddenly worth every minute that you spent on your knees worshiping that disgusting bowl and every cup of tea that you had to drink.

He kept assuring Martouf that he would see, and he had shown him the day that Lanwin and Taesha were born and the emotions he and Dominic had felt when they were placed in their arms. Martouf, needless to say, was anxious for that day to arrive.

_"When that day finally arrives we will be terrified,"_ Lantash said suddenly, as he realized where Martouf's thoughts were dwelling. _"It is very painful, and Kataya refused to share most of the pain with us. What little she allowed through to us was very trying as it was. She did; however, call us every derogatory name she could think of. Merdwin assured me that she did the same to him. Just as we blamed her for the illness, she will blame us during the pain. Merdwin told me that he shared it with her, and he honestly could not blame her. We will attempt to convince Samantha to share the pain with us. I believe that it helps lessen it for them."_

_"Yes, of course. Did not Kataya say during the Sevesh that it was almost, but not quite, worse than having kits? We survived that, and while it was very bad, we managed."_

_"True, Martouf, but it only lasted a little over an hour."_

He felt the jump in Martouf's heart as he realized that babies generally took much longer than an hour to birth. _"How – how long did it take Kataya?"_

_"I do not remember exactly. She was having contractions on and off for a couple of days before the actual birthing. I believe it was less than twenty hours once it truly started."_

_"Twenty hours?"_

He felt Lantash frown. _"If I remember correctly, it was about that from the time they decided it was indeed true labor. The contractions become progressively stronger. She was in hard labor for perhaps five or so hours."_

_"You mean the truly painful part?"_

_"None of it is pleasant, but yes, the hard labor was about that long. Merdwin told me that it was much longer with Gwennetha and Merdwain and that each set usually took less time to birth. This will be Samantha's first kits, so while it does not always take a long time, we should expect that it will not be quick."_

Martouf moaned at the thought of Samantha undergoing something like that. _"If we share it with her, it will be less for her to bear? You are sure?"_

_"We must remember to ask Merdwin, but I am fairly sure of it,"_ Lantash assured him.

_"Five hours, Lantash? Five hours of pain, that is worse than that which we underwent during the Sevesh? She cannot survive that. There must be some other way,"_ Martouf said firmly, as if simply deciding it was so would make it that way.

_"Well, the pain sticks are a worse pain, but then they will kill you if used long enough. The pain of childbirth does not kill you, but you think it might from what I was told. If you think of it, there is no way that it cannot but be painful. The kits will be small when they are born but not so small considering the way they enter the world. Then, too, until the very end there is time between the contractions, so it is not constant as the Sevesh was," Lantash reminded him easily. _

Lantash could almost feel Martouf pale as he considered the size of a newborn and the size of his Samantha. He would panic any minute now. _"Lantash, there must be another way. We must stop this; we cannot allow this to happen to her. How can she remain so calm? Does she not realize? What will we do? We must convince her to stop this now,"_ Martouf exclaimed, right on cue.

_"Martouf, you will stop this at once, and you will not bother Samantha with your worrying. It has been occurring for millennia, and it will continue. Samantha will be fine, and her body will change to accommodate the birth. I will explain it in detail later, but trust me, there are changes taking place that will enable this to happen. Now, let us find those crystals. I am fairly certain they are in the cabinet in the room where all of the supplies that Artereos sent are being kept."_ Lantash sighed as they began to look through the piles of books and parchments. _"We should have asked Daniel where they were for sure."_

_"I seem to remember some things being put in that chest over there. Check there, Lantash." _ Martouf began to calm as his mind switched to a different topic. No doubt he would revisit it later that evening, but Lantash would make sure he understood about the physical changes that would take place in Samantha's body.

_"Ah, found it. Good. All right, let us go,"_ Lantash said as they gathered the crystals and viewers and left the room. Closing the door behind them, they headed back to the library only to return to get their forgotten cup of tea.

_"Lantash, it is getting better, but how much longer will this last? We need to stop in the facilities on our way back to the library. The tea is, as usual, working in both ways."_ He never before realized how annoying it was to have to go to the facilities to relieve oneself so frequently. Martouf sighed resignedly as he headed there to take care of that before going back to the library. They both felt that they spent way too much time in this room or others that had the same purpose.

_"I am aware, and it will be another seven weeks at the most, possibly less. We can only hope that it will pass quickly," _Lantash murmured his response.

_"How long did it last for you the last time?"_ Martouf wanted to know.

_"About two months. However, it lessens considerably as time passes. Are you hungry? You are hungry, are you not? What is it that you want this time?" _Lantash almost groaned at the thought of what Martouf would wish to eat this time. The combination of foods that he was craving was not pleasant, at least as far as Lantash was concerned.

_"Yes, actually, I am. I wonder if Valynara has any of that chocolate cake and those little purple fruits that taste like watermelon left? That sounds good. And some of those weird little fishes. Cake and fish sounds good, does it not, Lantash? Lantash?"_

Lantash sighed. _"No. Actually, it sounds rather vile and disgusting, Martouf, but at least you are not allergic to it, so by all means eat it if you wish. Use the vanilla scented soap to wash our hands with Martouf,"_ He instructed, having given over control, as they prepared to leave this, their least favorite room in the house. _"It smells wonderful to me, and it does not upset our stomach as the other sweeter scented one does,"_ Lantash told him as they finished taking care of one job, and prepared to finish their errand now that they had relieved the more pressing of their needs. _"We should take this to the library first, though. Also, you do realize that the apralans are a diuretic, also, do you not? Not only do they taste like the watermelon of earth, they work on the system in the same way. Something that is mostly flavored water does that to the human system, you know. I suppose since we have to go more often because of the tea, it really does not matter all that much,"_ he groused.

_"It must have been very difficult for you when Dominic kept eating those Coralberry dishes and breaking out in a rash,"_ Martouf commented, and he felt Lantash shudder as he remembered it.

_"Yes, and I was never so glad to have something pass. He was extremely allergic to them, and I had a very difficult time controlling his response to it. Not only did he break out in a rash, it affected his breathing. It was quite alarming, and I was just thankful I could control it. Furthermore, I have no idea why he even craved them. There was not even anything in them that was particularly nutritious. They did taste good, though, I do have to admit that. I have to also admit I am thankful that you are only craving things like chocolate." _ He paused before continuing, _"although, I must admit that I fail to know why you insist on eating fish with that sauce that is like mustard with it."_

_"It tastes good to me,"_ Martouf said defensively.

_"I know, dear one, and you shall have some as soon as we deliver this to the library. However, if you do not mind, I believe I will become dormant long enough for you to eat the fish and brush our teeth. I'm afraid I find the flavor of the fish rather unpleasant when mixed with chocolate and then the mustard, which I am not particularly fond of to begin with."_

Martouf smiled and gave him a hug, offering, _"I am sorry, Lantash, and if it truly bothers you, I do not have to eat it."_

Giving another long-suffering sigh, Lantash hugged him back and replied, _"No, it is alright, Martouf. I know how irritable you get if you do not get the food you are craving. In addition, when I crave something, you allow me to eat it without complaint. Besides, I would rather put up with the fish, the fruit, the mustard, and the chocolate than to have you cranky. I just wish all you wanted was the chocolate, at least I share your rather intense passion for it."_

_"Thank you, and I will make it up to you somehow, I promise," _Martouf told him as he gave him a hug and an smile.

_"To be sure, you will, dear one, you may count on it,"_ Lantash agreed as they entered the library.

* * *

"Can't you remember any more of it, Daur'rin?" Jacob was asking as they entered the room. Hearing them come in, he turned to them and said, "Daur'rin has remembered a love poem she thinks may have more meaning than just its romantic value. I didn't even know Tok'Ra had love poems."

Sensing Lantash's wish to talk to her, Martouf quickly gave control to him. "Which one is it, Daur'rin?" Lantash asked, immediately intrigued, and all thoughts of food forgotten.

"I cannot remember what it is called, but it talks about a temple and white sand beaches. The thing that made me remember it was the line in that legend about the temple and the Twilight Nights because it mentions a place called Twilight something. I cannot remember that, nor can I remember how it goes, and Selmak cannot remember it at all."

"I suggest you stop trying so hard to remember it. It will come to you if you just give it time. Besides, if it doesn't eventually come to you, then Kataya can look for it if you want, or we can try the recall device. For that matter, it may be in the information that Lantash and Martouf just brought us. Try not to think about it for now," Daniel encouraged her. "It seems like the harder we try to…Lantash? What's wrong?" Daniel asked as he realized that Lantash was sitting with his fist clenched and an odd look on his face.

"I know how it goes," he said softly. "No doubt, Kataya could tell you the words to it, too. If Malek was here he would groan, but he could no doubt also quote it line for line. I quoted it for months after Kataya left and returned to Cadwaellon. I," he stopped, almost blushing, then cleared his throat, as he said, "I used to sing it to her. It can be sung to a little melody, but it was originally a type of free verse poem. No real set cadence, which is why I think I liked it. You could say it however you felt it." Daniel didn't think he had ever seen Lantash look so uncomfortable. Then realizing what he had said, he looked at Sam.

She was smiling, and her eyes were shining. "Lantash, how romantic. Now, I have to hear it," she said softly.

Lantash looked at her in disbelief. "Are you not upset?" he asked, obviously incredulous.

Sam sighed, shook her head, and groaned before reminding him, "Lantash, we've been over this before. You and Kat were mates for a very long time, and you loved her very much; you still love her very much. I know, because I love Daniel in that same way. There is nothing wrong with you having shown your love for her in that way. Of course," she continued, patently teasing him, "You'll have to come up with one for me, too. Now, come on, and tell us the words. Or better yet, sing it."

"I have not sung it in a very long time…I will have to think about the words for a short time, but I am sure I will know most of them. If, that is, it is the same one." Lantash frowned for a moment and then he slowly began to recite the poem, eventually adding the melody to which one could sing it.

The title is:

**_The Temple of Coreegadon_**

_As the eventide falls, and the day begins to close,_

_I will walk the white sand beaches of lovely Twilight Cove._

_Within the Temple on the shore, I will hear your name, _

_I will call to you to come to me, as swiftly as you may._

* * *

_I will wait impatiently, for you to bond with me, _

_To make us one, for our span of life, within the universe._

_I will call to you so softly; sweetly ask of you a joining; _

_Blend our bodies and our souls, becoming one, a borning._

* * *

_And there we will lie down, and watch the sky of blue,_

_Slowly add more colors, before the deepening of the night._

_Then, when the stars are high and the night is deep,_

_You will come to me; embrace me, as if within a dream._

* * *

_You will caress my body as you gently make it yours,_

_Embracing all that I now am, and all that we will be._

_I will add your essence, now blending yours with mine, _

_And we will be one being, joined and mated for all time._

* * *

_Its name will echo on the breeze, never now forgotten._

_We will remember for all time, as only lovers always do,_

_The place we gave our hearts and souls, into each other's keeping,_

_And joined us as one body, our hearts and souls together._

* * *

_Never speak its name, but that you remember me, our love,_

_Never think upon the white beach sands or see a starry sky, _

_Without you think of us, and the gifts and joy we gave to one another,_

_In the Temple of Coreegadon, where once we joined and loved as one._

* * *

_"Then there is kind of a chorus, which I left out rather than repeat it over and over, as one normally does when one sings it," Lantash said before he finished it._

_Where blood-red flowers bloom around the temple,_

_There I will stand upon the shore, _

_There I will call to thee._

_I will ask of you a joining,_

_A blending of our souls._

* * *

_Among the golden statues, you will lie with me._

_Come to me my dearest love,_

_lay your head upon my breast. _

_Kiss me gently, tenderly, _

_Then fill me with your essence._

* * *

_Under the deep purple skies, where Aramon hunts,_

_Make of us one soul, one heart, one mind,_

_Blend with me and make us one._

_That we will always be together_

_Blended, joined forever, now that we are one. _

* * *

As Lantash finished the poem-cum-song, they realized that Daniel was searching frantically through the papers scattered all over the huge desk. He gave a sound of triumph.

"White sands, Temple, Blood-red flowers, Purple, Cove, Aramon, and golden statues. Okay, so where is Coreegadon?" He asked after he read out the list of words that they found carved into one of the walls of the temple.

"It is a sister world to the one where Lantash and Malek were born. It was abandoned several millennia ago when the naquadah gave out. It was still in the water though, so the lake must have been perfect for symbiotes. However, the only thing it was ever used for was mining. The land was too rocky for farming or raising animals. There is indigenous wildlife and abundant fish in the waters, of course, but still not a feasible world for a civilization to grow and thrive on. Therefore, no civilization ever grew up there and the Temple was built for the worship of the system lord that was there during the mining. Aramon is a constellation that can be seen from the Temple, if I am remembering the history right. I do not know anything about the red flowers or the purple sky." Selmak gave his information on the planet in question. "So do we think there is a queen there?"

Daniel frowned. "I don't know..." he paused and it was obvious that his mind was working at warp speed. He finally shook his head, then speaking slowly, as his thoughts coalesced he added, "Actually, no. No, I don't think there is a queen there, although I could very well be wrong, so don't take my word as gospel or anything. Still, that said, I have to admit that I still think the answer is no. What I believe we may find, though, is a clutch of adult symbiotes," he said quietly. "I'm not saying there isn't a queen there just that the poem seems to be about blendings and joining as one being. It works as a love poem, but its real meaning is the blending. My guess is that we'll have to go there and then figure out how to call them to us."

"I can't believe we've actually finally found something," Sam said. As her excitement built, she pressed her hand against her stomach to stop its jumping, afraid it would get too jumpy and make her sick. It spoke to how stunned Lantash and Martouf were because they didn't even notice.

"Now we also know that whatever we need to find will be in some type of legend, poem or song and that the words that were in groups are definitely descriptions of places so we will know we have it right. I'd say you need to get to work sorting through those crystals. And we'll have to start planning a trip to this place within a few days."

Seeing their shocked looks, he grinned. "I know you all want to rush out right now and go take a look, but they have waited a couple of thousand years, a few more days won't hurt and I want to check with Merdwin and make very sure that nothing has changed in that world's status. I don't think any of us want to walk out the gate into a Goa'uld occupied world. So let's just be a little cautious."

Selmak frowned but nodded as he sighed, "Of course, you are correct, Daniel. It will not hurt us to wait for a day or so to be sure that things are as they should be. Moreover, Merdwin should know, and if he does not then Artereos will know or perhaps be able to find out. Hopefully by then, too, perhaps the situation with Malek will be better." He sighed. "Hand over the crystals, Lantash. Daniel's correct about that, too, and we need to get started on looking through this information."

Daniel nodded and then started speaking, this time rather fast, as his mind ran ahead of his words, "We should also talk to Valynara about taking some of the prospective hosts with us. See if she wants us to do that, or if she wants to bring them all back here. I'm guessing that we should go first to see if there are symbiotes there. I know she and Kataya were talking about trying to see if they could link their minds with any symbiotes that we find to try to match up potential blending-mates, instead of just doing it randomly. We want the blendings to be as successful as possible, and if they are a match personality wise, that will be a big help." Daniel's mind was running full speed as he thought of all the things that needed done before they could go to the planet in question.

"I hadn't thought of that aspect, Daniel, but you are correct. I am glad that Kataya and Valynara have decided to take steps to see if they can achieve that. I must remember to thank them," Selmak commented.

Lantash and Daur'rin nodded their concurrence, and then they looked at the crystals. There was a great deal of information to look through, and they should get started. Suddenly they had extra energy. It had not really sunk in that they might have found some brethren yet, but it would. Then they would have to force themselves not to get too hopeful, so that if they were wrong, they would not be so disappointed.

Samantha and Daniel would continue with the Furling information. The Tok'Ra would begin their hunt through their historical records and archives.

Before they started that though Sam had a burning question to ask. "Lantash? Why didn't you tell me you could sing? You have a lovely voice. Why don't you sing more often? I don't think I've ever heard you before."

"I do not know. It is something I have always been able to do regardless of my host's abilities, but Martouf actually has a very beautiful voice as well, which makes it even easier. I used to sing along with the radio at the house," he said, and then he caught his breath. Shaking his head, he said quietly, "That was while you were gone. I hated the quietness of the house, and I always kept the radio on. Sometimes, when Daniel was not there, I would sing along just to hear a voice in the house."

He smiled sadly. "It was a very difficult time for us, Samantha. Daniel and I both missed you and Kataya very much. There were times when it was such a sharp physical pain that it was all we could do to remain upright. It did become better once I allowed myself to grieve. Daniel and Martouf forced me to do so, and they were correct to force the issue. After they did that, I began to sing again, for it has always been comforting to me."

"And I only did it when Daniel was not with us. Daniel and I tended to stay together, either at his home, or ours, so it was only during our very loneliest times." He smiled at her then, saying, "I will sing to you tonight, my heart. A love song. Will that please you?"

Sam smiled at him through the tears that his words had brought forward. Her heart ached for what they had endured for them. "Yes, _Amat Wyn_, that would please me very much," she said softly, "it would please me very much indeed."

Suddenly Lantash's expression changed, and he looked surprised.

"Have you remembered something else, Lantash?" Sam asked as she realized, before the others that something had caught his internal attention.

"Martouf reminded me of something that I had forgotten. When he and Kataya became Heartmates by the ritual joining, while we were at Avilion, it released many of my memories into his consciousness. He is reminding me that there was a love song that I used to sing to Kataya that I was particularly fond of, and that seemed to have a deep-seated meaning to me even before she and I became mated. I had forgotten it, buried it actually, after she left with the kits, but I remember now that it was released with the other memories I had buried," he responded quietly, never taking his eyes from Samantha. It was obvious he was trying to read her reaction to his words.

Leaning forward until she could clasp his hands, she said quietly, "Lantash, I will tell you this once more, and then, I suppose I will repeat it as often as necessary until you believe me. I will not become jealous of Kataya and your relationship to her. You loved one another then, you still love one another today, and you will continue to love one another into eternity. It is just as I will always love and cherish my Daniel and our relationship to one another into eternity. You have a past with Kataya. I have a past with Daniel. We each can accept that. Please stop worrying about my reactions to anything that pertains to the time you lived with her as a physically connected Heartmate." She leaned forward even farther and kissed him gently. "Now. Tell us, or sing us, this song that you have always felt had a very deep meaning for you."

Lantash leaned forward from where he sat on a stool at her feet, and kissed her back, before he nodded, saying, "It is called _Whispered Promises_." Then clearing his throat, he started to sing softly, the beauty of his voice again surprising everyone, but keeping them listening.

**_Whispered Promises_**

_Moonlight on the water calls you unto me,_

_With the soft warm breezes, be caressed._

_The lapping of the waves upon the shore,_

_Carries my voice to thee upon its crest._

* * *

_I am calling to you softly,_

_I am calling to you, love._

_Hear my whispered promises, _

_My whispered promises of love_

* * *

_I am calling to you sweetly,_

_I am calling you, my love._

_Hear my whispered promises, _

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_You come to me with eyes that cannot see,_

_Though you have no words, you try to speak._

_I touch your satin skin; stroke you gently,_

_Soon we will form a bond that will not break._

* * *

_I am calling to you softly,_

_I am calling to you, love._

_Hear my whispered promises, _

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_I am calling to you sweetly,_

_I am calling you, my love._

_Hear my whispered promises,_

_My whispered promises of love_

* * *

_I will give you eyes that you may see,_

_A voice with which to speak of many things._

_Joined, I will hold you, as you embrace me,_

_I send to you these promises on wings. _

* * *

_I am calling to you softly,_

_I am calling to you, love._

_Hear my whispered promises, _

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_I am calling to you sweetly,_

_I am calling you, my love._

_Hear my whispered promises,_

_My whispered promises of love_

* * *

_Come to me my loved one, _

_Come to me, my mate._

_Hear my whispered promises,_

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_Join with me my loved one,_

_Join with me, my mate._

_Hear my whispered promises,_

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_Come to me my loved one, _

_Come to me, my mate._

_Hear my whispered words,_

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_Join with me my loved one,_

_Join with me, my mate._

_Hear my whispered promises,_

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

_Hear my whispered promises,_

_My whispered promises of love._

* * *

When Lantash finished singing, it was very quiet, until Sam spoke up. Squeezing the hand she was still holding, she said, "It makes a very heartfelt, and tender love song, but I can see why you feel connected to it beyond that. It sounds like a host coaxing a symbiote to come and join with them. A promise to show them the world through their eyes just as a lover would. And, the truth is that the relationship between host and symbiote is that of lovers, so of course, it would sound that way."

Lantash frowned. "How do you know that, Samantha? That the bond between symbiote and host is very like that of lovers?"

"I experienced Kataya's joining with Siesha, and I have observed you and Martouf and my dad and Selmak. Almost all of the host/symbiote relationships that I have had the privilege to see more of than just casually, strike me that way. Jocasta and Daur'rin are very close, like lovers would be. Malek and Devlin are very much like lovers. Even though Devlin teases Malek, it's obvious that he would do anything Malek asked of him."

"I'm looking forward to my own joining very much. In a way, I am glad things have worked out the way they have, and I am pregnant now, so that I can blend as soon as we find some of your brethren. Or at least as soon as I can."

Lantash smiled at her, truly convinced this time that his Samantha truly wanted to blend because she wanted to, not because she thought he wanted it. He did, of course, but he would love her if she never blended. He would always love her. He was drowning in her eyes when Daniel's voice brought him out of them and back into the present and the room where they were now sitting.

"Well, this answers a question I had anyway," Daniel commented, his voice holding a definite note of satisfaction.

"What is that, Daniel?" Selmak asked, curious as to what Daniel could have been pondering about which they would not already have thought.

Jacob snorted in his mind, reminding him, _"You are wondering about Daniel Jackson, Sel, and if anyone thinks outside of the box just as easily as they think within it, it is Daniel. Of course, he will have thought of things, which we haven't even brought to the radar screen yet." _

Selmak paused to think that through, and then admitted to him, almost sheepishly, _"You are correct, Jacob. I do not know what I was thinking. I would suppose I was not thinking at all." _

Another snort was followed by Jacob's acerbic retort, _"I would agree with that assessment."_

"How did we get the symbiotes to come once we found them? If they are Egeria's offspring, they won't take an unwilling host, so how is it done? We know from the writings in the Temple of the Twilight Nights that she had certain followers who assured her they would protect her children and find willing hosts for them. Akteket, Claeperta, Titenk, just to name a few."

Daniel paused for a moment before continuing to follow his line of thought, "The history that she left for you on the Temple walls about her life and how she managed to see to it that you were all taken care of is priceless. Her explanation of what she learned, as well as the one of how she changed her transferred knowledge to be sure that her later offspring had her insight will prove to be a blessing to all of you, I think."

Before anyone could interrupt or interject a comment, he continued to tell them what he now believed to be the truth. They were all aware of the suppressed excitement in his tone as his explanation went on to tell them, "I think this song may be our link to them. Maybe the tune of it or the words said in Goa'uld. There has to be a way to get them not only to come to the edge of the water, but also to allow us to pick them up in order to assure them of our good intentions. I think this song is telling you how to call them. I believe the promises are literal, and that they are something your younger, er, siblings will expect to hear from their brethren," as he finished speaking, he nodded decisively, a gesture, that for Daniel, indicated that he had a true and deep belief that what he said was the truth.

"I agree. I had forgotten that song and the poem, but both struck a chord in me that is unusual. I am sure that these are two of the triggers you believe she probably left within us. Moreover, I think I have a third. It, too, is a song, and if Lantash remembers it, perhaps he will sing it for us too," Selmak informed them that he, too, suddenly recalled a song that he felt was important.

"Which one is that, Selmak?" Lantash asked his interest and excitement very apparent to all of them.

"I _believe_ it is called _Moon Dance; _however, I cannot positively say that is the working title. It is how I remember it, though," Selmak gave them that which he felt he knew.

"I remember it, Selmak," Lantash assured him quietly, "and you are correct; the title is _Moon Dance._

"How does it go, Lantash?" Daniel asked, his eagerness adding to and enhancing theirs.

**_Moon Dance_**

_Beneath the light of the moon,_

_We come together_

_To feel as one, to love as one_

_Together_

* * *

_On the sands of the shore,_

_We come together_

_To touch, to see, to taste_

_Together_

* * *

_By the waves of the sea,_

_We come together_

_To sing, to dance, to love_

_Together_

* * *

_Under the shadow of the mountains,_

_We come together_

_To writhe in never-ending pleasures_

_Together_

* * *

_Together, we forever remember_

_and forever love._

**_By Starshadow _**

* * *

Daniel nodded, "If it feels right to all of you, then in all probability, it is. It sounds to me like another song to call them and to reassure them that we are friends, and not enemies. Therefore, if we go somewhere we believe there are symbiotes, and one of the songs doesn't work, we will try the other. We should start to plan our trip off world to check out the planet the poem is sending us to. I'll talk to Merdwin as soon as I can, but…" Daniel stopped talking, realizing that the information Kataya had sent to him through the link was going to be a shock to those in the room. He had to tell them, although Kataya said that she would send Merdwin to do so, if he wanted her to. It was, after all, because of the Furling that this was happening.

Lantash looked at him and realized that Daniel had something other than the legends, poems, and songs on his mind. "What is wrong, Daniel? You are very uncomfortable, and Kataya has never returned from the Sanctuary. Something has happened to Malek and Devlin, has it not?"

TBC


	14. Sacrifice 14 DOTQ

**_Chapter Fourteen Summary: _**_Malek finds himself floating "somewhere". His vow to do anything to undo what he has caused was taken as a request by the All. One that it granted. Mistakes were never harder to face._

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ - Furling Mating Cycle_

**_"Italics"_**_ – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Sacrifice**_

* * *

Daniel looked at Lantash and sighed before answering, "Yes. At least, there is a chance that it might happen. Please keep in mind that it is _not_ a forgone conclusion. But, yes, odds are that something will be done that will affect them."

The silence in the room lengthened until Lantash asked, "Do you know what is going on, Daniel? Are Merdwin and Kataya with Malek and Devlin, then?"

"I'm not sure, Lantash, if they are with him or not. Something has happened that concerns Gwennetha and the kits. Of course, it also concerns Dev and Malek, if it concerns them. We probably won't know much for a while, I'm afraid."

"What, Daniel?" Lantash insisted. "What has happened?"

Daniel sighed again, loath to tell his friend what had occurred. "I'm sorry, Lantash. Malek has brought charges of deception, against Gwennetha, before the All. She pled guilty. The All will have no choice but to take Malek's soul-threads back from her."

Lantash sat unmoving as he assimilated the information, and drew a conclusion. "But, that could kill Gwennetha," he finally gasped, as the seriousness of the situation came home to him.

"Yes. Yes, it could."

Lantash closed his eyes in anguish, as the other Tok'Ra looked at Daniel in disbelief. That Malek was being so unreasonable had stunned them all. They had _known_ that he was being irrational and stubborn, of course, but this was beyond what they had expected. Malek simply was not an irrational being. Stubborn, yes, but not irrational, and for him to be acting this way was almost beyond their comprehension.

"The kits," Lantash gasped. "What of them?"

Daniel shook his head. "I don't know, but unless something happens to change the course of events, they will be taken, too."

"Daniel, we cannot allow this to happen. We must do something," Lantash said urgently.

Daniel shook his head. "From what Kataya told me, they are working on the situation. We can only hope that Malek doesn't attempt to do anything else, for now. They thought you would want to know, in case, well, in case they can't get it straightened out. They didn't want it to be a complete shock if something happened."

Lantash shook his head in disbelief. "This is so unlike Malek. I should have tried to talk to him. Perhaps I should go try now."

"I won't tell you not to, Lantash, but I honestly don't think it would do any good. He hasn't responded to any of us. He even refused to see Selmak and he would not even talk to Brialek before he left to go back to the Tok'Ra."

"I know, and that makes no sense at all for they are quite close."

"All we can do it wait. The hard part, as you know."

"Yes. Yes, I do know," Lantash sighed and then felt Sam's hand slowly begin to rub his arm in a soothing gesture. He squeezed her hand where it lay on his arm, while giving her a slight smile.

Daniel sighed as he realized his next statement might not go over well, but he knew he should say it anyway, "As callous as it may sound, there is nothing we can do. We may as well continue with our research. At least, we may have some good news for them if - when - this thing is straightened out."

Wishing to go immediately to his friend, Lantash knew it would be a futile action at this point. He reined his emotions in and forced himself to pick up a scroll, but he stared down at it blankly for a moment, as Daniel's words sank in. He was right, of course; they could do nothing.

He nodded his head to Daniel in agreement and determinedly opened the papers in his hand. They would leave Kataya and Merdwin to handle the situation between their daughter and Malek. All they could do was hope for the best.

* * *

Malek came slowly awake. Thank the universe; it must have been a particularly bad dream. He shuddered at the seeming reality of it. He had found himself facing a tribunal of the All, which appeared to be pure energy. It had questioned his purpose in coming before them, listened to what he wished to say, debated his statements, and then agreed to his proposition. He would take Gwennetha's place; she and the kits would live out their lives with Devlin.

One minute he was standing in the tribunal chamber, the next he was waking up. He wondered why he had never dreamed when Merdwin had given them rest by helping them to sleep. Perhaps Kataya had simply cut him off from Devlin and he had fallen asleep on his own. He had been tired; exhausted by the emotional storms he was in. He frowned. He could not imagine simply falling asleep as upset as he had been. Kataya must have helped him to enter slumber.

He also realized that he no longer felt nauseated. In fact, he did not feel much of anything at the moment. Why was he able to see Kataya sitting with himself and Devlin? Was he still asleep? No, he knew he was awake because he had felt himself waking up. So why was everything so odd? A shiver traveled up his back. Something was not as it should be. One could not normally see one's body from the outside without a mirror. Perhaps he was still asleep and only thought he had awakened. Somehow, that thought rang false.

Kataya still sat on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through Devlin's hair, but she was now comforting a deeply distressed Devlin. At least she had succeeded in coaxing him to come forward while Malek had been off in his dream-world. Kataya had managed to get him to leave that dark place in his mind. He thought she was going to help him deaden some of the pain, but Devlin looked desolate, tears running freely down his face, his eyes, even as he cried, bleak and empty. He looked as if his heart was broken and there was nothing in the Universe that would ever repair it.

"_Devlin, you must not grieve so. I am not disgusted, nor do I despise you. You should have known I would not,"_ Malek told him.

Dev's sorrow did not abate, nor did he answer Malek. Malek sent all the warmth and love he felt for him, but still got no response. He sighed. He would just have to wait for this overwhelming grief to abate somewhat and try again to get him to talk to him, perhaps to forgive him for what he had done.

Malek frowned. He was beginning to feel Devlin's sorrow deeply, and it hurt badly, for seeing him this way distressed Malek, but he could not _feel_ Devlin's distress as Devlin was feeling it. It was battering him, cutting into him, and yet, he could not feel Devlin himself. Had something occurred that had kept Kataya from deadening the pain of them for Devlin? However, if that was so, why was she not returning, seeing him in such distress, and stopping it, changing it, trying again to stop the pain of them?

"Devlin, you must try to overcome some of this grief. Gwennetha needs you now more than ever. Malek made the only choice he felt he could. He chose to give his life for that of Gwennetha and the kits. In a few hundred years, the All will return him to you; when the sentence is up. Until then, he will be in a non-existent state."

"He should have talked to me about it. We should have discussed it. I would have taken the punishment and left Malek to live with Gwennetha and the kits. We need him here to continue on with the fight; they need him much more than they need me. It should have been me," Dev replied, his voice harsh with the pain of his loss.

_"Devlin, I am here. I have not left you. I am still with you. Can you not hear me?"_ Malek asked him.

Devlin continued, as if Malek had not spoken, "How do I bear this loss, Kataya? I have never felt so much pain, even – even during the worst of my years of captivity. It is as if they ripped away from me part of my very soul. I have a huge empty space in my heart; my soul is nothing but tattered pieces. My mind is quiet, he is not there, and I miss him more than I ever thought possible. Why? Why is the All doing this? I do not understand."

"It was Malek's choice, Dev. That is all I know," Kataya responded softly, as she gently stroked his arm and the hand she held.

She sighed to herself. How could she explain the All's decision? Malek placed charges against Gwennetha, very serious charges. When he came to understand and realize what he caused and what would happen to their kits and Gwennetha, what his choices did to Devlin, he offered himself in exchange to live out her sentence. As things stood, the All had no choice, but to make the exchange. Malek would live out Gwennetha's sentence, which was non-existence for the length of time of Gwennetha's sentence.

What she could not tell Devlin was that non-existence was worse than death. In death, at least you could find peace in the All. In non-existence, your life continued, but you took no part in it. Malek's punishment was to see, hear, and take part in everything that happened, but not be able to interact in any way with the people he loved.

He would watch his children grow-up. He would feel every pain that Devlin had, that Gwennetha had, but their joys would barely register with him. He would be able to see them make love, but would be able to feel none of it. He could relive the memories of what it was like at other times, but not when they were making love. He would ache to take part, but would be unable to do so. He was reaping that which he had sown. By his actions, he cut both Devlin and Gwennetha off from him. In his mind, he put Gwennetha away from him and forced those feelings on Devlin, now he would pay the price for what he had sown, nurtured, and grown.

Moreover, it was not only their pain, for he would see and feel the pain his brethren sent out from themselves. He would soon feel the anguish Lantash was feeling at his loss. Malek had no idea what he had agreed to, she was sure. She could only hope that in the coming years he would learn to navigate the All and at least be able to find some places that allowed him to fall into a meditative state to rest.

No, she would not tell Devlin those things, to do so would increase his pain even more. Unfortunately, the punishment meted out to Malek hurt Devlin almost as much. She sighed again.

Once Malek realized what was happening, he would be in emotional pain with no way to escape it. The only thing she could do for him was to mitigate it by helping Devlin. When Malek said he was willing to do anything to atone for what he had done, the All had taken him at his word.

Now, the rest of them had to come to terms with it. In addition, she hoped that Merdwin would be able to help Gwennetha so that she and Devlin could begin to accept that he had done it out of love for them. Gwennetha at least would realize that he was feeling their pain and that would help her to overcome her own grief. Then she would help Devlin. She hoped. In the end, they might have to explain it to him.

Malek heard her thoughts and felt the panic rising within him. He was dead? He no longer existed? He shuddered realizing that he had not been dreaming. He was dead.

_"This was your choice, Malek of the Tok'Ra. You chose to take your Soulmate's place, that she would be spared non-existence."_

_"Then it was not a dream? I am truly not – not there? I no longer exist? If that is true, how can you talk to me? How do I feel their pain? Who are you?"_

_"You no longer exist to them. You exist in the all and you may travel into it when they sleep. You will find places to rest within the All, but remember that it also is a dangerous place for the untrained. You must hope that you will find a guide who will teach you how to traverse it safely."_

_"I do not understand. What is in the All that is dangerous to me?"_

_"All of your greatest fears dwell within the All, Malek, as well as your greatest dreams. If you are lucky, you will find only the dreams."_

_"It seems I am already living a Nightmare."_

_"Perhaps, but as with most of the dreams and nightmares that dwell here, you wove them yourself. You will have full access to watch their life, your life, as it would have been."_

_"Where do I find my guide? How do I find it?"_

_"You have much to learn before your guide will appear. Only when you can bear to face the truth, and realize that this is of your own making, will they come to you. This is the life you wished for Gwennetha and gave to Devlin. Good-bye, Malek"_

_"No. Wait! I do not yet understand everything. I have more questions. Who are you?"_

_"It is not necessary that you understand everything at once, or that you know who or what I am. Understanding will come through time. For now, observe the hearts you have injured and attempt to absorb their pain."_

_"But they do not appear to hear me. How can I help them, if I cannot go to them to comfort them?"_

_"Yes, that is a problem, is it not? You know of their pain, yet are unable to take it from them. You feel their pain, yet are not sharing it. You are observing it, absorbing it, yet are not lessening it. The All can teach those willing to learn. Perhaps, in a hundred years or so, you will begin to learn."_

_"No, please. Wait. Wait! Hello? Hello?" _ He was alone in the empty place again. Besides that, the pain was intensifying the longer Devlin cried for him, called to him. Dear Universe, how would he bear years and years of this?

Bringing his attention back to Devlin, he saw him open his eyes as Gwennetha opened the door and entered with Merdwin.

"Devlin? My father told me you wished to see me. Is that true or do you want me to leave you?"

"No. No, I do not wish you to leave. I want you here with me, in my arms where you belong, where you have always belonged."

"This is my fault, Devlin. I am aware of that, and you cannot blame me any more than I blame myself," Gwennetha said softly, but firmly, her words heavy with remorse.

Sitting up, Dev reached for her bringing her to sit beside him where Kataya had been a moment before. "No, how could you think that? Malek chose this himself. He should have waited, tried another way, but you are not to blame."

"I did not tell you of _Lun'ak'mat,_ and it all comes back to that."

"No, you did not, but it was not a crime or a deliberate attempt to deceive. I love you and what happened between us was a beautiful thing. We will have the kits. Malek – Malek did not understand," Devlin told her, his voice shaking. "He was so confused, so angry at himself. I should have attempted to talk to him more, instead of retreating into myself. Much of this is my fault, my love, for I should have forced him to listen to me, and I did not. I have done Malek no favors by always doing things his way. I see that now that it is too late. I would give almost anything to have a second chance to show him my love, Gwennetha. I – I am so alone," he whispered, choking on his words.

"Oh, Dev, my heart is breaking for you and for myself, and yet, I know that the more pain I feel, the worse it will become. We must attempt to block this pain. It is imperative that we block this pain and attempt to pick up our lives and move on without him."

Devlin looked at her oddly, knowing this was not how Gwennetha should be reacting to this. "There is something you are not telling me. What is it? I would rather know the worst than to remain in ignorance." He looked at Merdwin and Kataya as they stood regarding them, waiting to see how things would be before they left them alone. He could not blame them for being cautious with their daughter. He and Malek had certainly given her nothing but pain in the past week. "Please, tell me," he pleaded softly.

"Malek is feeling your pain, Devlin, as you and Gwennetha grieve for him. He cannot stop it or share it with you, but he can see and feel what he has caused. Gwennetha is correct. The more pain you feel, the more he will feel. The sooner you release him into your memories, the sooner his pain will lessen," Merdwin told him quietly.

"Lessen, but not leave. He will be in pain as long as he is gone, will he not? This is what you are keeping from me. Not just that our pain makes his worse, but that he will be in pain all the time. His own pain, even without ours, he will have his own pain with him all the time." Devlin stopped and looked at Merdwin and Kataya, when they did not disavow what he had said.

"How can the All do this to him? He does not deserve this. Malek is a wonderful being. He saved me, cared for me, loved me. One mistake should not cause this severe a punishment. One mistake should not be the cause of that much suffering."

"No, it should not. However, that is how it is. Moreover, we must live with it, just as Malek must experience it. He chose this, Devlin, because he loved you and Gwennetha so very much. He was willing to do anything to stop the chain of events his actions had set into motion."

"Please, understand and try not to be angry with him, or to grieve so much. I know it will be many years before he returns to you, but he return. If you can, dwell on that fact, not the one that he is gone. Your negative emotions will continue to impact him and cause him more pain," Merdwin attempted to explain but he knew that regardless of what he said, nothing would stop Devlin's pain. This was not the best solution and he, also, wished Malek had waited before attempting to set things right.

"Please, Devlin, do not. You will only make it worse for him," Gwennetha whispered quietly.

Moaning, Devlin drew her into his arms as he once again cried for his mate, unashamedly. Placing her arms around him, she nodded to her parents and they acknowledged her request. Gwennetha would care for Devlin now. Only time would heal them of their loss. They would both cry for the mate of their soul, now lost to them.

"Is there nothing we can do, Gwennetha? Can we not travel into the All and petition to have him returned to us? Please can we at least try?"

"I – I already did that, Devlin. Malek refused to trade places with either of us. He is determined to pay the consequences of his actions and mine. I feel very guilty myself, as I truly feel this is my fault for forgetting to tell you. I truly never meant to hurt either of you and I love Malek so much, Devlin. So much that I feel as if my heart and soul are being torn from me, and there is nothing left. I am so thankful that I still have you. Malek has neither of us, and our pain is only making his worse. Much as we wish to mourn for him, we must try to accept and forget for only as our pain lessens, will his pain lessen."

Malek watched as Gwennetha rocked Devlin back and forth soothing him as best she could, as he tried to help her. He could see an aura around her that he had never realized existed. Of course, he had never been in this realm before that he knew of either. Her aura was jagged, ripped, and pale. Something told him it was not supposed to be that way.

As he watched them, he realized once again how very beautiful she was. And, from where he was now, he could see that the beauty was not an outward shell but a deep and abiding beauty. She had a beauty in her soul that reflected outward and enhanced her physical beauty. It hurt him to look on her and yet he could not seem to look away.

Why had he not seen before? Had his eyes truly been so closed? He had thrown away the most beautiful thing he had ever had. He had shut her out; cut her from his life and refused to believe that she had not hurt Devlin. He had forgotten his vow of unwavering faith in her love of him. How could he have forgotten that? His loss was bitter indeed. Bitter and sharp.

Devlin, also, was beautiful both inside and out. He had never truly appreciated the being he had inhabited. He had used his body and never appreciated its beauty or the inner beauty of the being to whom it belonged. Oh, he had kept it in wonderful physical shape. He had slowed its ageing, kept it well toned, given it added strength, and felt self-righteous when he let the being use his own _improved_ body.

How many times had Devlin just _gone along for the ride_, giving his body to Malek at times when, in reality, it was Devlin that should have been using it? Often, Malek was sure, and Devlin had always done it with good humor and grace, telling Malek he was tired and did not wish to be bothered. Malek recognized those statements for what they were now. They were Devlin's way of making Malek happy. Always, in every way that he could, Devlin strove to make Malek happy and content, as if he was afraid that if he disagreed too stridently Malek would abandon him.

Malek could probably count the number of real disagreements between them on one hand. All of them were over mission details, never anything that affected Malek personally. Dear Universe, he never deserved Devlin. Well, his own actions were the cause of his parting from him; he was now living only what he deserved. It was wrong that Devlin felt all of this pain, though; that should not be a part of what was happening.

He realized that he never looked at the body he inhabited as the gift that it was. He had never been thankful for the way Devlin trustingly, freely gave it to him. This was what Egeria was trying to instill in them. It was _not their body_, and all the added benefits they showered upon it only enhanced it. They should be thankful that its owner gave it to them to share. Never should they look upon it as a machine that they maintained, but a home where their heart could reside in comfort, respect, and love. The beings that shared their bodies with him over the years gave him a great gift, for without them and their bodies, Malek would never have known of the universe beyond his own mind. He would have been alone forever.

Moreover, he had thrown it all away in his arrogance and pride. As the pain coursed through him again, he faced the future that those two traits were giving him. It was not pleasant to contemplate and he wondered, if the pain became too much to bear, what would happen? There appeared to be no escape. He was trapped here within his pain, and theirs.

_There was no one to talk to, no one to listen._ As he contemplated that thought, a truth suddenly burst upon him, and he realized that he was now facing one of his greatest fears. He was alone. For the first time in two thousand years, he was utterly alone. Furthermore, he was isolated from sensory input other than the pain of his mates. There was no heartbeat to lull him to sleep, no soft breathing, no warmth wrapping around his body. There were no warm thoughts and no love surrounding him. He could not reach out a hand and touch Gwennetha nor could he hug Devlin from within. He could not caress him and kiss him, things he had occasionally done, but not often enough, he now realized, not nearly often enough.

There were no hands. He could not get up and walk into another room. There were no feet and no other rooms that he could tell. How was he to travel anywhere with no way to go? Was he energy? He could see and he could hear them talking part of the time. He had heard Kataya's thoughts earlier, but he could not tell if he could _tune in_ to them whenever he wanted to, or if he could only hear and see only certain things. He wondered if he could he move, and if he did have that ability, how did he use it? He felt the panic again building in him at his realization that he appeared to be helpless to do anything other than observe.

He also became aware that there was no real sound, no light, no anything. It was as if nothing existed outside of himself other than the pain, which was constant, and the room below him. At the same time, it was as if he no longer existed either. Non-existence. So, this was what it meant.

Moreover, he had almost sentenced Gwennetha to this. His beautiful, loving Gwennetha, the light of his and Devlin's life, would have been trapped in this because of him. Thank the All for listening to him and not allowing that to happen. At least Devlin still had her. He deserved her, her love, and the kits. How he ached to be with them now that it was too late. He had wasted precious time when he could have been with them.

However, he had to do something to stop their pain. Perhaps if he tried harder he could break through to them, and they would know that he was all right. That it was all right for them to forget him and get on with their lives. The sooner they did that, the sooner the time would pass for them, if not for him.

He suspected that if they forgot him it would lessen the pain of their grief, but his own pain would increase because he would be even more alone. Nevertheless, that was not what he must worry about now. Now, he needed to figure out some way to stop their pain.

It would have been better if he had never entered their lives. Stopping his thought, he realized that was not necessarily true. It might have been better for Gwennetha, but Devlin had needed him. What would have happened to Devlin if Malek had not found him? True Devlin had saved him, too, but without him, Dev would no doubt have ended up abused and probably dead at the end of a Jaffa's staff weapon or used as a slave, a continuation of the life he was already living, in some ways possibly better, in some ways possibly worse.

Therefore, he could not say that Dev would have been better off never meeting or blending with him. However, he certainly would have been better off if Malek had been a more sympathetic symbiote, a more caring, loving symbiote. One who would have appreciated what he found in him; the uncritical, unquestioning, unequivocal loyalty, trust, and love that Devlin gave to him from the very first.

How he regretted not giving Devlin more love and caring, more of the trust and faith that Dev always gave to him. It was not that it had not existed; it was simply not something he had shared with him. He had sometimes called him dear one or beloved, and he remembered now, how Devlin had gained a soft inner glow as well as a feeling of peace when he did so. He should have told him how much he loved and admired him. How very lucky he felt himself to be to be sharing his body with such a wonderful, caring person.

Why had he not? Arrogance, of course, arrogance, and pride in abundance had kept him from telling him how wonderful he was. Pride in all the things he _gave_ to Devlin in return for his body's use. Devlin needed nothing more from Malek than that. How very wrong he had been to feel that way. Devlin deserved so much more. Much more than Malek ever gave him.

Regret left a bitter taste in his mouth. This then was one of the lessons he was supposed to be learning. Well, it had not taken him long, but he would know the lesson so well after several hundred years he would never ever forget it, he knew. He wondered what the other lessons he was supposed to learn were. Perhaps it was that he took for granted the love of his friends and comrades. Was Lantash aware yet of what had happened? How would he feel about it? They were mates at one time long ago, and the bond between them was still deep and loving. Lantash did come to see him as he lay in that room being such a totally horrible '_Goa'uld_'; he could think of no worse word to describe himself.

Had he known that Malek was being impossible and irrational? Did he hate him? Why had he not come to see him? Was he still extremely ill as well? Malek had not even bothered to ask after him. He had been to busy blaming Samantha and by extension Lantash and Gwennetha and the rest of the universe for what had befallen him. Well, that was all as nothing compared to what he was undergoing now, and he had only himself to blame for the mess he made of their lives.

Was his friend and former lover hating him, for not coming to see him? Had he held it against Samantha that he was ill and suffering? Had Martouf? Were they as ill as he and Devlin had been? Did he wonder why Malek had not come to check on him?

Hearing the door to the room open, he gazed back at the scene that he could now see, but not take part in. Lantash and Samantha walked into the room and Malek could feel the waves of pain emanating from him. Samantha looked devastated as well, but he could not tell why. He had not known her well, so she could not be mourning his passing. It took little time for him to realize that her pain was for the other three people in the room, but because he was the cause of it, he could feel it too. Dear Universe, the amount of pain in that room was intensifying beyond bearing.

Lantash went straight to Devlin and Gwennetha and knelt in front of them, reaching out for them. Malek's breath caught in his throat. Lantash was crying. Not sobbing, but tears were slowly making their way down his cheeks. He was not embarrassed about them, either. He was hurting so much. His pain was for them and for himself. He never realized how very much Lantash still loved him. Not as a lover now, of course, but as a mate. Being privy to his emotions, he realized that Lantash still considered him a mate of his heart; someone who was closer than a friend was.

He knew, of course, but he never acknowledged it. He never told him, even after they almost lost him this last time, just how much he still loved him, too. That, too, was his own fault, for he had always known that Lantash still loved him deeply. It was why he allowed Malek to be the only one to comfort him after Kataya left. Furthermore, Lantash told him that he heard Malek calling him back this time, too. He heard them all, but he made a point of thanking Malek for staying with him when he would not have had to do so.

What did Malek say to him? He brushed him off, with a noncommittal remark. He told Lantash that it was not a problem; he would do it anytime. However, he did not tell him that he loved him still. He did not admit to the agony and anguish he felt as he sat watch over him and talked to him. Now Lantash would never know how much he meant to him, because his pride had kept him from admitting it or acknowledging their bond. He thought that they could no longer love one another and admit it aloud or show it to others. Lantash knew better though, and he tried to tell him, but Malek closed his mind to the words.

Lantash learned the lesson before Malek did. He realized while he waited for Samantha to return that he was nothing without his mates; his mates, not just Samantha and Kataya, but Martouf as well as Daniel. They almost lost him, but in the end, he could not do that to Martouf. He could not leave him or refuse to accept his help. Malek shuddered as he realized that he had done it to Devlin. He shut him out, completely abandoned him, cut off his wants and needs, and he neither asked for nor offered comfort…or help. He used his anger, arrogance, and pride as a shield against everyone and everything, and in the end, he hurt everyone he cared about, everyone he loved.

He deserved every slice of pain he was receiving. Why could they not see that? Devlin was insisting he did not deserve his punishment. He had to know that was not true. Malek deserved it all, every bit of it. The ones that did not deserve it were those in that room. They did not deserve this pain and he would do anything to stop it for them. He just did not know what to do to stop it, and there did not seem to be anyone he could ask either.

_"So, Malek, I see that you are a little distressed."_ Malek looked toward the voice, but again saw no one. The voice this time was familiar though. He knew that voice well. It had given him advice one time. Very good advice as it turned out. He had taught him what a toad was, too. He smiled slightly at the memory of walking with this man in a beautiful garden. It had been a walk in which he had told him that if his granddaughter loved him, she would love him forever because that was the way of the women in his family. Once they loved, it was for eternity.

Why, why, had he forgotten that? _How_ could he have forgotten that? The pain sliced a little deeper, and Malek thought that if he could bleed there would be a pool of blood under him by now, as the pain just sliced deeper and deeper. Worse than that, there was no end in sight.

_"Not necessarily true, Malek. Well, your pain would not end, but you could end theirs,"_ Artereos informed him, as he walked out of the darkness and into the area around Malek. He appeared to seat himself on a chair that had not been there a moment ago. Malek frowned. Was he sitting then also? Did he have a body?

_"Of course you do, dear boy, if you wish to have. You are in the All. You can manifest a body if you wish to. It will take a little time for you to adjust and figure out what you can and cannot do. Of course, you are tied to Gwennetha and Devlin while they are awake, but once they enter a sleep state or meditation, then you may leave them and walk the All. Do be careful though. There be dragons."_

_"My greatest fears,"_ Malek said, but he did not seem to be talking, only thinking.

_"It is not necessary to talk aloud to me, I can hear you. And, I will visit you now and again to see how you are doing."_

_"My adjustment can wait. I wish to know how to release Devlin, Gwennetha, and Lantash from the pain of my loss."_

_"You realize it will not release you from the pain? You will feel it still for you will not forget them?"_

_"I do not care if I remain in pain. I only want to release them from the pain they are feeling. They do not deserve to share in my punishment. I am willing to do whatever it takes to stop it for them."_

_"Even if it increases your own pain?"_

Malek gave that some thought for a moment, but realized that his pain really did not matter at all. He would survive it one way or another. He would do whatever it took to stop their pain even if it meant taking it into himself and living with it forever.

_"Yes. Even if it increases my own pain. Is there a way to transfer their pain to me? I will gladly bear it for them, if they can be at peace and happy again."_

_"Normally the All would not offer this to you; however, they feel that when you said you would do anything to stop what was occurring, that you were not informed of the consequences and therefore, it is willing to mitigate the entire situation for Devlin and Gwennetha. Gwennetha has petitioned on your behalf already, you know, for she feels responsible and she was the one that pointed out that the All had taken unfair advantage, since you do not know the laws or ways of the All. She accused the All of injustice. A very serious charge, you understand, especially to the All, for it tries always to be just. Therefore, after some deliberation it returned a verdict of injustice against itself. Therefore, you are to be offered an alternative."_ Artereos paused as he watched the hope blossom on Malek's face.

_"I want to take their pain away. If they will give it to me to bear for them, then I am willing to do that."_

_"Well, that is not exactly how it would work. The All is willing to wipe all memory of you from everyone who has ever known you, so that your passing will cease to cause pain to them. When you return in a few hundred years, you will return with no past. For the next few hundred years you will be put into a lake with others of Egeria's offspring that will not be found until then, so it will seem as if you were never known before. Gwennetha and Devlin will never know you, and you will never be able to claim your children as yours, nor will they know of you for you will not have existed in their world, at the time of their conception. Devlin will be given another symbiote who will love and care for him, and the children will be raised as if they are his."_

_"You will spend the next few hundred years in this lake, and when the time is right, you will be found and implanted into a host willing to take you. You will receive the knowledge of Egeria's latter born young, but you will keep the knowledge of your previous life. Those memories will be locked away from anyone or anything else and no one, but you, will ever be able to access them even with the memory recall device." _

_"The reason this will be done, is because your new host, will be your son by Gwennetha and never will any of them be allowed to know how much you love their mother. That will be your eternal cross to bear. The knowledge that the woman you love, and the host you truly felt was the mate of your soul as much as she was, will never know you, but you will know them." _

_"So what do you say? You may think about it. The offer will stay open for a few days. However, think carefully about it. It will change the length of time for your pain to last from a few hundred years to eternity, but you will not have to watch them be happy together without you for several hundred years and the passing of time will lessen your grief. It will fade in time, not as quickly as it normally would, of course, but it will fade. The first hundred years will be much as it is now. After that, it will begin to lessen. However, never will you have them back. On the other hand, if they continue to feel this pain, and you can endure it for the period of time of your punishment, you will be reunited with them. You must think on this." _

_"If I agree to them forgetting my existence, will Gwennetha and the kits be alright? Are you sure that neither she nor Devlin will grieve any longer? Or Lantash? It will truly be as if I never existed in their world? There will be nothing to grieve over, is that correct? I will simply not have existed to them. Only I will still feel this pain?"_

_"Neither they, nor Lantash, will remember you. Only you will feel the pain."_

_"What of all the missions I was on that succeeded in helping the cause? Will they not have happened? Will the Goa'uld be in a better position because something I did will not have happened?"_

_"You are looking well beyond yourself and your family now to the bigger picture and your affect on the universe. Nothing in that way will change. Someone else will have taken the missions and succeeded in your place. Just as the symbiote who found and released Devlin from his bondage will now be the one that loves and cares for him and Gwennetha. At least, that is how it will appear to everyone. In reality, of course, you were there and did do all those things, so nothing has really changed. Even the fathers of Gwennetha's children are you and Devlin, Malek. Only they will not know that."_

_"In that case I do not need to think about it. I want you to wipe me from their minds. I want them to have no memory of me, and I will gladly take every bit of their pain with me. Nothing must happen to Gwennetha, the kits, or Devlin. I want them to be happy more than I have ever wanted anything. I am ready to go as soon as the All wishes to send me,"_ Malek said firmly. He could feel the tears he was aching to shed, which was odd, as he had no way to cry. Perhaps Egeria's later children had developed a way to experience that outside the host's body. He would know soon he was sure.

_"As you wish, Malek. It will be soon, I am sure."_

_"Artereos,"_ Malek stopped, sure, that Artereos would not be able to do as he asked.

_"Yes, my son? What is it that you wish?"_

_"Before they take the memory of me from them forever, will the All allow you to tell them something for me? Even though they will forget?"_

_"I am sure it would. What do you wish me to tell them, Malek?" _

_"Tell them, tell them that I will love them both forever, - and that though they will not know, I swear to them that I will take very good care of our son. I will love him, honor him, and respect him, as I should have Devlin. It is a promise I will not fail to keep."_

_"I am sure I can tell them that for you, Malek. Why do you not rest now?"_

How strange. Artereos was fading, so they must be taking him right away. He would not be here when Artereos told them he loved them. He would have liked to be there, but as long as they removed their pain, he would accept that he could not be. Moreover, he trusted Artereos to see to it that they knew, even if they would not remember it.

Moreover, someday, far into the future, he would get to meet his son, join with him, and love him. And he would love him fiercely, as he never had loved another, he swore to himself. That would soothe some of his pain. Yes, he would remember that and hold onto it. The young man would never know, but that did not matter because he would know.

The haze was becoming thicker now. He could no longer see the room below him. Goodbye, my loves, my dearest loves, he said silently to them as the Mysts gathered around him. Soon now, he would not even be a memory.

TBC


	15. The Sound of the Silence 15 DOTQ

**_Chapter Fifteen Summary: _**_When Malek awakens, he is very confused. It seems that he has returned to Devlin. Or was he ever really gone? How much of his experience was dream and how much was real? Artereos gives him the answers._

**_Caruswyn –_**_ My Dear, My Dearest_

**_Carusawyn_**_ **–** My Dear One, My Dearest One_

**_Coeurawyn – _**_My Heart_

**_Mer Prinekh – _**_My Lifemate. It is another more Intimate Name for Lifemate used by Both Host and Symbiote. Mer Prinekh is often used as a Term of Endearment and Affection. Can be Translated as Sweet Lifemate, Beloved Lifemate, etc…_

**_"Italics"_**_ **–** Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications  
_

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**The Sound of the Silence**_

* * *

Malek lost all track of time. He was in a Myst and could see nothing else. Time seemed to be standing still. He could not tell if it was minutes, days, weeks, or months that he floated in the Mysts. The pain was still there, but it no longer felt as if it was cutting into him. The only thing that appeared to remain was a constant intense aching of his heart, body, and mind. He wished he could see something other than the gray of the wisps that floated around him. At least he was no longer in a black void, but the gray one was almost as bad.

Suddenly, Malek felt a jolt, and he could tell that he was floating down. He kept his eyes closed tightly as he braced himself for the feel of the water against his body. He hoped it was not a cold lake. He hated cold water. As he continued to float downward, he sighed morosely, thinking that the All probably sent him into freezing water just to make the entire experience even worse. It was taking a very long time to hit the water.

The air under him became decidedly firmer and the floating sensation seemed to slow. He frowned. Why was the air becoming hard? What an odd sensation. It was as if the air had solidified and was now a platform. Not only that, but it felt as if it was wrapping around him. In addition to that, it was very warm. Then he realized that he was no longer moving. He had completely stopped. He frowned as he wondered where the water was. Surely, they knew he could not survive outside a host when he was in corporeal form without water. He snapped his eyes open to look around and caught his breath at what he saw.

"Well, young Malek, I see that you have rejoined us. Devlin is still asleep, is he not?" Artereos asked quietly from where he sat ensconced in a deep wing back chair beside the bed.

Malek stared at Artereos in disbelief, fearing he was dreaming, but he took the cup held out to him. He grasped it using Devlin's hand. He could feel the cup, so surely this was real. He looked at him with Dev's eyes. Besides, he could no longer look down and see the occupants of the room. He _was_ one of the occupants of the room. How was that possible? Searching, reaching outward, he found Devlin asleep, and he was definitely within his body. He could hear his heartbeat and his breath as he breathed. He was no longer in either the void or the Mysts; it was no longer silent. What had happened? Why was he here instead of in the lake? Moreover, when had Artereos arrived? The last he remembered Kataya was helping him to sleep, so she could talk to Dev to try to help him. Then he had awoken in a black void where the only light was from the room below or when Artereos was with him. Devlin had not been there. He _knew_ he had not.

Coming slowly up on his elbow, he drank a small amount of the tea, slowly increasing the amount until he had managed to drink half of the cup full. The nausea that started as soon as he awoke seemed to be retreating. He drank some more of the tea. Yes, it was most definitely receding. That was another thing that told him he must be back within Devlin. When he was in the All, there had been no nausea, only emotional pain.

"Devlin is asleep, sir. Will he – will he wake up soon?"

"Very probably, but he will not do so before we have a chance to talk. You seem disoriented. What appears to be the matter, Malek?"

"I was supposed to be put into a lake. I was never supposed to be with Devlin again. You told me so, just now. What has happened?" Malek answered him in a somewhat stoic voice, as he refused to let hope in just yet.

"Ah, yes, well, I am afraid that things did not turn out quite as you expected them to. Beyond that, you have been doing a little, well, for want of a better word, we will call it _precognitive dreaming_, Malek. You very quickly learned what you needed to learn. Your decision to be wiped from their memories told the All what you learned louder than any words could have done."

"So, Gwennetha was not called before the All because of me? And Kataya and Merdwin did not discuss it? Does that mean that the things I saw in Devlin's mind are not true? I do not understand," Malek frowned as he tried to work through what Artereos truly meant by his words. Had he been having an extremely vivid dream, then?

"No, I daresay you do not. However, I will give you the answers to your questions. Yes, the All called Gwennetha before it to answer your accusations. She did not fight the charges you placed against her, but pleaded guilty. Kataya and Merdwin were discussing it, the two of you did hear them, you did see the memories that Devlin has buried for years, and he did withdraw from you," Artereos's reply was very concise and to the point.

"Then what part was a dream? I still do not understand what has occurred," Malek's response was somewhat tentative, as if he was not sure he really wanted to know the answers, but felt that perhaps he should know them.

"Kataya helped you to sleep, but as you drifted off, you again sent very strong feelings into the All. You did go before a tribunal, and it agreed that you would take Gwennetha's place and serve the sentence in her stead. The All took you from Devlin and released you into its Mysts in a safe place. At that point, you experienced non-existence and, therefore, what it means to be in that, ah, condition. After that, things become a little, ah, insubstantial and shadowy, in other words, that is when you experienced the, er, _instructive_ dreams. That is when you watched the events that would soon come to pass if nothing happened to change the course leading to them."

"Artereos…"

"Allow me to finish, young Malek. There is much for you to learn before Devlin awakes, and you make your peace first with him, and then with Gwennetha."

Malek nodded and automatically took the cup that Artereos had refilled and again held out to him. He sipped as they instructed him to do, what now seemed a lifetime ago. It appeared to be helping quite a bit. He took a shaky breath and waited for Artereos to continue.

"Devlin was also allowed to see what awaited the three of you. He was quite distraught about the All's decision. As a result, he sent a very loud message out into the All, which in turn caused the All to summon _him_ to a tribunal. He did not wish a punishment for either you or Gwennetha. He became quite vocal when the All brought him before the tribunal. That is the one thing that changed what you saw. Devlin refused to give you up."

He paused briefly watching and studying his emotions as they chased one another across Malek's face, before continuing, "The All believes in self determination. Therefore, although you agreed to removal from their minds, it could not take Devlin's memories of you from him without his consent, and although it explained to him that you wished to do this to end their grief of losing you, he refused to consent. Friends and casual acquaintances are a different matter. You would have been wiped from all history and another put in your place. They would have known you still, but it would not have been you, if you can understand that. However, for your Soulmate that was not possible. The All had no choice but to allow him the option of accepting your decision or not. They could take you as part of your sentence and separate you for the allotted time, but they could not wipe you from his memory unless he agreed. He refused."

He allowed his words penetrate before adding, "Devlin is very deeply attached to you, Malek. His near panic, which ended in a threat to take his life before he allowed the All to wipe his memory of you, or to keep you parted for so long, was a deciding factor in your release. That would make the All responsible for his death, and the All does not work in that way. They would not trade your life and Devlin's for that of the kits, nor would it allow Devlin's life to be forfeit because of something it did. Moreover, it was obvious that you had, ah, seen the error of your ways, and that Devlin had also learned some things that he needed to learn. Your acceptance of the offer to be wiped from their memories, so they could find peace and happiness, spoke well for you and what you had learned."

Returning to Devlin's appearance before the All, he told him, "Devlin was very eloquent on the subject of their culpability, as well as how the All did not have the right to tell him that he should be parted from his Soulmates, either of them. He pointed out that you were not even acting like yourself and, if it knew so much, it should have been trying to help you, instead of hurting all three of you. He went on to call them some very unpleasant things and accuse them of underhandedness, ah, among other things. It was very invigorating to see and hear. The All was, um, impressed…and somewhat amuse…, ah, well, never mind, for that is neither here nor there."

"Of course, the All pointed out that it did not matter if you were with Devlin, or not, because he had turned from you and shut you out of his life. He was hiding in a corner of his mind, afraid to confront you with his past. That was the choice he had made, so the All had made its decisions based on what he had done as much as what you had agreed to. Needless to say, he quickly assured the All that he would no longer shut you out, or remain locked away in his mind."

"He also admitted that he had allowed you to have control of your joint lives for far too long, and that he would begin to disagree with you when he felt you were wrong. He realizes that if only he had done so this time, he could have avoided the entire situation. He is ready to begin to rebuild your relationship, and when he awakens, he will be back with you. It may be difficult for you both, but you care deeply for one another, and you will work through it." Artereos paused, as he looked at Malek quite sternly, "It will also be your responsibility to see to it that you do not take advantage of him. For it would be very easy for both of you to fall back into old ways and patterns."

"The All never intended to do any of those things, did it, Artereos? It was simply slapping me down and teaching me a few truths about myself, was it not?"

Leaning back in his chair, Artereos continued to gaze at Malek, but then his eyes became unfocused as if seeing something beyond him. He turned back to him, and his gaze was cold and piercing, as he smiled grimly. His tone soft, yet holding a threat, he said, "The All was quite ready and willing to do every one of those things, Malek, do not ever doubt that. Had you not begun to see what you were doing to yourself and your mates, it would have felt no compunction in tossing you into a lake for the next few hundred years and wiping your memory from recorded and personal histories. I was telling you the truth when I said that only Devlin's actions spared you. You came very close to losing everything you hold most dear this day. Do not forget it," Artereos warned him quietly.

Artereos let his words sink in before continuing, not allowing Malek to answer him yet. "After Devlin made his statements as to what he intended to do to make your relationship work more equitably, the All returned to the original accusations and sentence. They would now go back to the original appeal and sentence Gwennetha."

Still watching Malek closely, Artereos informed him, "It was at this point that Devlin let them know in no uncertain terms that the two of you wished to retract them. He explained that it was only the instability of your emotions due to the changes taking place in your bodies that caused you to be so unreasonable. He also pointed out that you wished to take back your accusations. That you had they were not true. Since it was your fault and his that Gwennetha was summoned, he should have the right to make the accusations null and void on the grounds that the two of you realized that you were wrong."

"The All then pointed out that it should make no difference to the two of you if Gwennetha was gone from you, for you both appeared to have rejected her and your kits completely."

"He informed them that he never repudiated her or the kits. He was only waiting for you to become calmer before attempting to start reconciliation. He reassured them that he would see to it that you did not continue to make all of the decisions, and the first one he would insist on doing his way was asking Gwennetha for forgiveness for the two of you."

Artereos paused for a moment and then he said very softly, but firmly, his voice steel covered in velvet, "There is another condition to your return to Devlin and the dismissing of the charges you brought against Gwennetha. Devlin had to agree to be responsible for your actions in this matter and any future situations that come up concerning your vows to her. If you fail again, then Devlin's life will be forfeit, as will yours, for an unspecified amount of time. I would suggest you keep that in mind if you are ever again tempted to renounce your Soulmate."

"Should you repudiate your mates again, it will not go as easy on you as it did this time. One lapse it will tolerate, two is too many. Do not think that you will ever have this chance again, for you never will. Unwavering faith in them and their love of you is what you promised. Do not fail them again."

"I will neither forget what I have learned nor lose faith and fail them. I did not mean to imply that I did not believe it would _ever_ do those things, I simply meant that it did it to attempt to make me open my eyes and see what I was doing. I am quite aware that nothing could save me if it happened again. And there is no way in the universe that I would allow Devlin to be punished for something that I did."

"I am glad that you realize that, Malek, for it is quite true," Artereos assured him.

Becoming once more the Artereos that Malek had first met, he again poured more tea for him and handed it to him saying, "If you continue to drink your tea as you should, you will find that you are hungry before very long. Drink up, there you go."

With the easing of the tension brought on by Malek's statement of intent and understanding, he felt comfortable enough to ask some more questions, knowing that Artereos would not take them wrong this time. Relaxing against the headboard, as Artereos again became comfortable in his chair, he asked, "Artereos, how much of what I experienced was real? You said I did leave Devlin, so, how much of what I saw was real? How much of it truly happened? Moreover, who set all of this in motion? Was it Kataya when she put me to sleep? Or Merdwin? Or you? Which of you saw to it that both Devlin and I learned the lessons we needed so badly to learn?" Malek asked quietly.

"Is it really important, Malek, how it came about, or how much actually took place, and how much was just a vision of a possible future? As long as your eyes are now opened to what your life might be like without the mate's of your Soul, is that not enough?"

"Yes, I suppose it is, but I would still like to thank whichever one of you it was. You have done Devlin and me a great service when you had to be very angry at me, especially."

"Let us say we were a little disappointed in your reaction even though it was the one we expected. As for which of us did it? You should look to the All for the answer to that for we are simply instruments of it, and both protect it and are protected by it. It is never evil or cruel, Malek, and it would not allow those things you saw to happen if it could help it, at least in this first instance. In one way you were correct in saying that it did not intend to do those things to you, but you must add to that sentence ~_this time_~ and ~_if he learns quickly_~ remember that. Its patience is not infinite, as I said before, and it would have had no compunction about doing it, if you had not responded as it expected."

Malek nodded slowly, "So, the reality is that I was given time to work through my anger and resentment, but when I—when I did not, then the All took a hand in my affaires to attempt to teach me that which I should have learned somewhere along the way in the last two thousand years. I did not realize that it would interfere in this way with our lives. Not that I am not grateful, for I am; I just did not realize they—it—would do so."

"It or they, either one is appropriate, _Caruswyn_. As for your statement about it taking a hand in your affaires, in the normal course of events, it would not, Malek, but you, in your anger and resentment, sent a very strong message out into the Universe. Moreover, do not forget that being with Gwennetha you are much closer to the All than you would normally be. It is a second home to her, for she is capable of traveling it freely as I am, as most Furling are."

"When you became my granddaughter's mate, you became a child of the All, and as such, you have, shall we say, a closer tie to it than you did before. You and Devlin, as well as Lantash and Martouf, are closer than most of its adopted children are. Not that they are not all cared for, but Lantash and Martouf are mates to those of the chosen. Samantha and Kataya are special gifts from the All and of the All and therefore, very dear to it. Their children as well, are well known and especially cared for. Since you are their mates, it will watch over you as much as is possible without truly interfering. However, do not expect it to step in and stop most things from happening, Malek, for it will not. Remember, self-determination is the standard."

"Therefore, what this all means is that it can hear you quite clearly, and you were shouting quite loudly, at least within your mind. Moreover, from what I understand from Merdwin, there were times when you did so quite loudly within this room. You were not addressing anyone in particular; you addressed your remarks outward to the Universe, and it heard you quite clearly and plainly."

Malek stared at Artereos attempting to assimilate what he was learning, and then he asked, "Is Gwennetha aware of what has happened? You said that Devlin knows, but does she also know? I saw them here, together. Was that real? Lantash and Samantha? Were they here?"

"Well, let me see. Gwennetha knows only what we have told her. She was not a part of the dream-state that you and Devlin were in within the All. She knows you petitioned the All to release her and take you in her stead, and she knows the final outcome. Lantash and Samantha were not here, although it was on a knife's edge whether they could keep Lantash from coming. Once he was able to leave his room, he suggested that he come to talk to you, but they dissuaded him. You had already been quite vocal in your protests about Selmak and Brialek. We saw no need to go through that again with Lantash."

"Lantash," he continued thoughtfully, "has been worried about you, but the search for the queens has helped some to take his mind off you and your, to him, incomprehensible actions. In addition, with their nausea and food cravings, he has had other things with which to cope, as well. I _will_ tell you that your actions disturbed both him and Martouf a great deal. They puzzled and upset them. Lantash's repeated insistence that, while you can be amazingly stubborn, you are _not_ an _irrational _being is part of why we continued to seek a way in which to help you."

Malek did not even attempt to stop the flush that colored his cheeks; he simply listened quietly. Then, looking up from the cup he was staring into, he told Artereos softly, "I must apologize to both of them. I believe that I owe a great deal of thanks as well as many apologies to Kataya and Merdwin, as well. I especially wish to thank and apologize to Merdwin for enduring my ill temper and irrationality as very patiently as he did. I have caused several people, people who love Devlin and care about me, a great deal of trouble, heartache, and worry. I will extend those things to the appropriate people, when I am up and around again. In the meantime, I both apologize and thank you, as well, Artereos, for you have obviously been instrumental in helping me."

Artereos smiled at him, and it was that beautiful smile that seemed to warm one, as he debated his next words. Evidently coming to a conclusion, he became serious once more. "I probably should not tell you, lest you decide you are not responsible at all; however, I cannot, in all conscience, allow you to believe you are completely at fault." Knowing by Malek's very alert expression that he was listening and wondering, he explained to him, "As I said, Lantash's emphatic and unmovable belief that you were acting out of character in this matter, caused us to continue to help you, and therefore Devlin. It was also the reason we looked farther into your response. We finally determined that you are more, ah, shall we say, susceptible, to the hormones and chemicals that passed into your system. Do not misunderstand me, Malek, you were still ultimately responsible for your actions; however, we also became aware that the length of your excessively irrational response was initiated and supported by the hormones and chemicals."

"Unfortunately, your natural response to the situation was to act exactly as you did. It became a vicious circle. The hormones exacerbated the emotions you were already feeling, your refusal to look beyond your interpretation of what occurred kept your emotions off balance, and that led back to the hormones and chemicals enhancing your emotions. By not allowing Devlin to drink the tea, you continued the downward spiral. Your body was in physical distress caused by the nausea and mood swings. The hormones continued to cause the distress. Your refusal to drink and therefore control the physical manifestation of the hormones stopped your body from beginning to assimilate them, and therefore they remained just as virulent as they were the first morning. In many ways, you were responsible for your reactions. In some ways, you were not. Once we found that, we knew we had to do what we could to help you begin to work your way out of that cycle within which you traveled."

Malek swallowed hard and then whispered, "Thank you, Artereos. I must admit that I was concerned as to why I did not become calmer and begin to look at everything in a more logical and less emotion driven way. I was afraid that there was something wrong with me that I remained so irrational for so long."

"Yes, I suspected as much, which is why I decided to tell you. It does not absolve you, but it does mitigate what you did. There is nothing wrong with your mind," Artereos assured him.

Then deciding that it was time for some happier thoughts to take over in order to allow Malek time to absorb everything, he told him, quite cheerfully, "You will be glad to know that they have located one address that they feel will lead them to some symbiotes, if not a queen. So, now you must begin to get better and then become immersed in the hunt for your future queens along with the others."

Malek nodded, looking interested, until he took the cup that Artereos had once again filled. He wondered how much of this he would have to drink.

"Gallons of it, my dear boy, gallons of it. Trust me, I know." Artereos picked up the thoughts that Malek threw out quite easily. Malek smiled slightly realizing what he had done. There were worse things than a grandfather-in-law who could pick up your stray thoughts.

"You were not ill, were you, sir?" Malek was very curious as to how Artereos coped with this situation, if he even had to do so.

Artereos shuddered. "I shall never forget my sufferings. It was the most debilitating and humiliating thing I have ever lived through. You are not the first, nor will you be the last. My mate is Wiccadian. They have similar mating requirements and needs to ours, so I did indeed absorb my Lady's essence. It was very powerful, more powerful than the Furlings in fact, and her daughters and granddaughter inherited that."

"Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond her control, Gwennetha could not first get your consent. She feels very responsible for not telling you before she agreed to bond with you."

Grimacing, Malek shook his head, as he said, "She does not need to feel that way. I am the one at fault here. I should have realized that with everything that was going on during that period of time that it was not something she would think to tell us. For her it is a fact of life, and one does not explain those things. It is unfortunate that neither Dev nor I had more knowledge about the Furling. Nor should I have held against her what happened that night. I do not think I fully understood, until I was in the All, that she literally had no control over what happened that night. I am sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Artereos nodded as he sat relaxing and drinking his port. "Those are the things you must tell Gwennetha, not me. She is the one you will have to convince that you still love her, for she believes you do not."

Malek shook his head again, this time very sadly, before stating, "I do not believe there is any way she will ever believe me. I failed her, and I sent her away from me. That is not something that will be easily forgiven and will never be forgotten."

"Perhaps. While it is true that she will probably never forget, I believe she will forgive. She is not a vindictive person, Malek. Besides that, she loves you greatly. You are the mate of her Soul, and that is not something she takes lightly. Her love for the two of you is stronger than any other she will ever have. Do not underestimate her understanding. You may have to confess to some unpleasant things, and admit to the traits that led you down that path, but if you are honest with her, she will understand them."

Malek sighed, disconsolately, "I wish I could believe that. I remember what I saw while I was gone. Neither she nor Devlin have any reason to believe me. I failed them both, and I have no way to prove to them that I will not do so again."

"You will find the way, _Caruswyn_. In addition, Devlin needs you to help him come too terms with his past. He must allow Kataya to take the rest of the deep searing pain of them away. She will do so as soon as he is ready for her to."

"The rest?"

"Yes. She was only starting to help him, to take away some of the deep-seated pain he bears, and she did help some, but not nearly enough. She will gladly go back in and help him fight his demons. For, they are demons of his mind, and he must win over them. Once she takes the pain of them away, he will be able to do so, for he will be able to look at what happened and see it more realistically. Once he truly realizes that he had no choice, it will ease him."

"I will do whatever I can to help him. The scenes I saw were—very bad. I have seen worse things, of course, from the Goa'uld, but what I saw was bad enough to cause great emotional pain. He should not carry that burden alone, and he will no longer have to. Nor, will he have to worry about me finding out. He should have known that it would make no difference to my feelings for him. And it explains things that have puzzled me over the years."

"How you react will go a long way toward helping him, Malek. One of his greatest fears was that you would find out and despise him."

"I will do my best, I promise you," Malek assured him before pausing and then asking hesitantly, "How is—how is Gwennetha? Will—will I be allowed to see her? Will she even talk to me?" He paused and then added, "If she has been as ill as we have, then she has not been eating, and she is carrying the kits. She must eat, Artereos."

Artereos sighed. He had known this question would come sooner or later. He wished he had better news for him. "Gwennetha has not been well, Malek. She is quite as ill as you have been. I am sure she will want to see you for herself to know that you are up and getting better. Knowing that you have finally become more rational and wish to see her will help her, I believe. Her well-being is still not exactly stable. We hope this will allow her emotions to calm enough to let her body settle and be cared for by the energy around her."

"She has a few hours a day that she feels stronger, and her mother has been helping her as much as she can. Your recovery will help her more than anything else will. So, the sooner you are well, the sooner she will be well."

"I understand. I will continue to drink the tea, I assure you. It is such a relief to be without the constant nausea. I cannot believe that I refused it for so long. Someone should have poured it down my throat."

"Ah, no. No, that does not work. The, er, unique taste, tends to make one bring it back up if they take too large a drink, too soon. You may ask Martouf when you are stronger. He has personal experience to back up the statement."

"Lantash and Martouf are better? They are up and around now?"

"Yes, they are. As I mentioned before, they have been helping in the search. Of course, they still spend time in the facilities room, but one expects that as long as one is drinking. It must go somewhere, you know."

Malek looked at the cup in his hand with resignation. It seemed that even after the nausea was under control he would be spending more time in that room than he would have liked. Sighing he took another drink. It _did_ seem to grow on one.

"When can I see Gwennetha?"

"I think you should talk to Devlin first. You have bonds to rebuild and ties to repair with both of them. I would fix the ones with him first, if I were you, for you will both need forgiveness. We will tell Gwennetha at once that the two of you are back together and working through your problems. She will also be told that you are both better, eager to see her, and hope that she will allow you to see her soon."

"Devlin should not need her forgiveness. I am the one that refused to be rational and understanding."

"Devlin did not dispute you, Malek, nor did he attempt to go to his mate, even though he knew that staying away from her must hurt her very deeply. He did not lose faith in her that is true; on the other hand, neither did he go to her."

"But that was because of me," Malek protested urgently, once more appalled by what he had wrought.

"I do not think that will matter greatly, Malek. It is his body, and he is free to use it at any time. He _chose_ not to go to her, and that is what he will have to work through, both with you and with Gwennetha. Once she realizes why he is so very loyal to you, it is my belief that she will forgive him freely. But he will have to tell her everything; it is the only way."

Artereos looked thoughtful, and then stated, "I do not know, but it seems to me that Devlin must have, or had, some anger towards you that he has buried. I am guessing, of course, but you should try to find out. Buried anger can come forth at very bad times and cause all kinds of problems. Do not allow him to continue to bury it, and do not let him assure you he felt no resentment or anger over what has happened. He is sure to have had feelings of both."

"I understand, and I will do whatever it takes, I promise you."

"Good. Well, I assume you wish to talk to Devlin privately, and that we can now leave your windows and doors unlocked without you doing anything foolish."

"No, I will not, you have my word, but do you have any idea when he will wake up? I do not wish to interrupt his sleep."

"He will wake up as soon as I allow it, so whenever you feel you have enough of your questions answered, then I will leave you to deal with one another."

"I am ready, Artereos."

"Yes, young Malek, I believe you really are," Artereos said as he set the carafe within easy reach of Malek. "I will see to it that more is delivered shortly. Drink often, it is the only thing that will help," he warned, as he headed for the door.

He turned back after he opened it. "If you need help and wish for me to come back, simply think to me. I have a link set with the two of you and will come anytime. I wish you luck, Malek."

"Thank you, sir."

As the door closed, Malek sensed that Devlin was awakening. Now, the real tests of his newfound insight and determination would begin.

He felt Devlin's mind searching frantically for him even before he was completely awake. There was fear and panic very near the surface. He rushed to reassure him, _"Devlin, dear one, I am here. I am no longer gone."_

_"Malek? Malek, I thought you were gone from me. I thought the All took you from me. Was it a dream? Please, do not tell me that this is the dream," _Devlin pleaded for Malek's reassurance.

Malek sighed before telling him softly, _"I am sorry, Dev, but I was taken, and you were alone for a time. I do not know how long I was away from you, and I did not think to ask Artereos. This is not a dream. I am back with you now, and I will be forever," _he swiftly gave his mate his promise.

_"Was Artereos here? He was with me at the tribunal. They put you away—away in a chamber into which they would not allow me to go. I was so angry and afraid that I would never feel you within me again," _it was all Devlin could do to speak the words.

_"Yes, he was here. We talked for quite some time, and he explained most of what happened and—and why it happened. Hush, Caruswyn, it is all right, now. We are back together, and we will never be parted like that again. I have learned what I needed to learn, and I have realized that I was very unfair to you. You must not let me be so again, Dev. You must speak up, and tell me what you want," _Malek's tone was firm as he answered him.

_"Yes, I have begun to realize that as well. I was too quick to agree with you because I wanted you to be happy. I have always wanted that, for as you now know, you saved me from a very bad situation over and above the Jaffa that would have eventually found me. I am sorry you had to live those memories with me. I never wanted you to know, Malek. I would have done anything to keep them from you," _Devlin's words were full of such sorrow it was hard for Malek to bear.

Almost trembling with emotion, Malek caressed and kissed him gently, murmuring to him, _"I know, but I do not know why, Devlin. I do not think any less of you because of what happened to you. I—I love you deeply, and I have a great deal of admiration for you. You kept your sanity, and you did not allow that man to destroy that part of you that is truly you. Your very being and personality he could not touch, and for that I respect you very much." _

Malek paused, and then said very softly, but firmly, _"Devlin, there was nothing, nothing at all, that you could have done to stop what happened. Not one time did you have a truly good chance to escape, and even if you had, he would have hunted you down and made it worse than before. You have absolutely nothing at all of which to be ashamed. He is the one that should have been ashamed. Not you. Never you, Mer Prinekh. I am glad we broke his neck,"_ Malek said, his voice laden with satisfaction at that memory. He realized how much Devlin had treasured that moment and how much satisfaction it had given him.

Devlin said nothing for a moment as he let the words of comfort soak into and start to heal his heart. _"Thank you, Malek. Your opinion means a great deal to me. Moreover, coming from you those statements mean even more, for you cannot lie to me anymore than I can lie to you, therefore, I know they are true statements. Kataya also, said much the same to me, after her first session with me. She is trying to help me to deal with the pain so that I can then deal with the memories," _Dev explained, not realizing that Malek already knew of her helping him.

_"Yes, that is what Artereos said. I am glad, Dev, because you should not have to live with that much pain. It is just too much. I, too, will help you all I can. Perhaps between the four of us, we will work through both your demons and my short-comings."_

_"Four? Oh, do you mean Merdwin? I am sure he would help, but he did not go into my mind with Kataya. She, she felt that I would not wish to share this with any more people than were necessary, so she entered alone. It was very kind and caring of her."_

Malek paused before answering, as he decided exactly how to tell him that which he must say,_ "Yes, Coeurawyn, it was, but then, she is kind and caring, as we both have reason to know. However, Merdwin was not the one about which I was speaking. Actually, I meant Kataya, Gwennetha, you and I. You, or I, if you cannot bring yourself to do so, must tell her of this, Devlin. No, do not begin to draw away again. Listen to me, please. I hurt her, and unfortunately, some of that will rub off onto you. You must explain to her why you have such extreme loyalty to me that it caused you to stay with me rather than to go to her. Artereos assured me that we must tell her, and I believe he is correct, as he usually is. I, too, will have to bare my soul to her, for she is very hurt, and she is feeling, that is, she has been, betrayed by me. Regretfully, since you remained by my side instead of going to her, you appear as guilty as I do. As he pointed out, only the bare truth will suffice, Carusawyn, but I promise you, I will help you all I can, and I will allow her anger to focus on myself rather than you. I will try to help her understand. You will not have to say anything, nor be the focus of her anger and pain," _Malek cajoled him as he gently gave him the sensation of someone rubbing circles on his back, which was a motion that he himself found soothing.

_"No, you will not, Malek, for in this Artereos is surely correct. I did not go to her when I should have. I myself have realized that I should have done so regardless of your attitude and my loyalty to you, which in this instance was misguided. I did not, so in reality, I am as guilty as you are. We will share her displeasure, Carusawyn, and we will explain and admit to all of these things together. I will never again allow you to take control of everything, and that includes these types of situations, as well as the others. We may have to work at it for a time, but I feel sure that Gwennetha will be watching and helping us to see to it that we do not fall back into old habits," _Devlin informed him firmly. Malek must not continue to always make their decisions or take on the unpleasant or hard tasks. In the future, they would both be responsible for the way in which they handled what life handed to them as well as their actions in how they did so.

Malek was quiet for a moment before saying, _"I feel sure you are correct. Of course, there is also the question of whether I can get her to forgive me at all. I wish to be the one that talks to her if you do not mind, though, Dev. My transgression was by far the worst of what I, that is we, did. If you insist, then of course I will not talk to her, but I think I need to do it. I know that neither of you will trust me again, nor can I blame you for that. I will do my best, however, to see to it that neither of you are ever disappointed in me again." _

Devlin was surprised and almost alarmed at how very subdued, chastened, and contrite Malek sounded. He hurried to reassure him,_ "I will do my best as well, Malek. I do believe we are both to blame for this. I know you will feel better if you talk to her. I suppose in a way it will be a penance to you. You feel the need to ask her forgiveness yourself. I will also wish to do so, but I will wait until later."_ He paused before continuing, _"Gwennetha could not stop what occurred. She had no control over any of it; she would have stopped it if she could. I know she is very upset over what happened and feels that she is at fault for not telling us before it happened. I believe that had we decided to have children, she would have explained it fully and asked our permission. She would very probably have been upset with herself for not telling us before. I cannot blame her in any way, Malek. There was so much happening at that time. I can fully understand it not entering her mind."_

_"I agree with you, Devlin. I, too, now understand what occurred, and I no longer believe that she was at fault. Now that I am looking at it in a more rational manner, I can see that none of it was her fault, including not remembering to tell us about something that for her was no more than a fact of life. We must convince her that we, no, that I, no longer look at it in an unfavorable light. I simply did not understand, and now that I do and have allowed myself to examine my memories of that night, I realize how very wrong I was to blame her. I just do not know how I can make her realize that I now do understand."_ He sighed disconsolately.

_"We will find a way, Malek. We must. Now that we are thinking more clearly, I realize that I cannot imagine our lives without her. I do not know if I could have survived if she was taken from us."_

Malek hugged him from within and Devlin wrapped him in warmth as well. There was no point in them being angry at one another. His stray thought entered Malek's consciousness.

_"Devlin,"_ Malek brought his attention back to him, his voice tentative and gentle, _"Artereos pointed something out to me. He suggested that you would be burying feelings of anger and resentment toward me because of what I did. He suggested that we face that together, and I believe he was correct in his suggestion. You have every reason to feel anger and resentment toward me. I do not believe you should bury those emotions, for as he pointed out, they could come back to haunt us later, perhaps, at a most inappropriate time. I believe you should be honest with me about your feelings. Only then can we overcome them."_

Malek waited tensely for Devlin to answer him. As the time ticked by, he realized that Devlin was deliberately shielding his thoughts from him. He frowned. What was he thinking about for so long? Moreover, why was he not sharing his feelings?

_"I am not sharing them with you because I do not wish to hurt you, ever, and I feel my emotions would do so. I am not saying anything because you always know when I lie, and I must either tell you the truth, or remain quiet. I do not believe this is something we should discuss,"_ Devlin caught his thoughts and finally brought himself to say.

Malek knew immediately that his Devlin was harboring a great many emotions that were not pleasant and all of them pertained to him and his actions.

He sighed, and said firmly, _"We cannot hope to make our peace with each other, or with Gwennetha, unless you are willing to share your thoughts and feelings, Dev. I believe you need to tell me what you felt during this past week, as well as how you feel now. If you do not, then you are not being fair to me, to us, for I cannot make amends, if I do not know that for which I need to make amends. I have done so many stupid, hurtful things to you and Gwennetha this past week that I am not sure I even know where to start to try to heal our wounds. Without guidance from you, I never will."_

Devlin still hesitated before finally asking, _"What is it that you wish to know, Malek?"_

_"I wish for you to bring forward every angry resentful feeling you have had so that we can know it is there and hopefully deal with it."_

_"I do not wish to hurt you, Malek. I do not believe there is anything to be gained by dredging up my feelings during this past week, particularly since I no longer feel that way."_

_"I think there is. If we do not cleanse ourselves of these things, then they will fester and cause us pain later. Please, Dev, do not worry about hurting me. The universe knows that I hurt you and Gwennetha enough. Tell me, Dev. I need to know."_

He drew a shaking breath as he waited for Devlin to answer him. When he did, it took him by surprise.

Finally finding the words he needed, he began slowly, but gained momentum until the words fairly tumbled out, as he dredged up his emotions over the past week,_ "All right, Malek, if you are sure and, if you insist, then I will tell you. There were times I hated you. I hated you, and I loved you. It is very unsettling. Quite often, I wished I had never seen you, never been joined to you, and never had to hear you again. I resented the fact that you never asked me my opinion, not once, and—not just in this instance. More than that, I was very angry because you would not allow logic to enter. You would not look at that night as anything other than a horrible experience, and it was not. You made up your mind, and you did not care if I wanted to live or die, because you wished to die. Furthermore, you were going to take me with you and leave our Gwennetha alone to raise our children. There were definitely times that I hated you for those things." _

_"Yes, looking back, I realize that I was very angry. I hated you, I resented you, and I was angry. At the same time, I knew I owed you everything, and that without you, I would have been dead long ago. If not that, then I would be at the end of a chain in a room somewhere, even if he sold me to someone else. But even knowing what I owed you for saving me, I was furious because you just assumed that I would agree with whatever you said, whatever you decided, and whatever you did." _

He sighed deeply before going on, _"I know now that you had every reason to feel that way, for that is what I have done for far too long. Besides all of that, I was furious with myself, because I have always allowed you to lead and do very much as you pleased." _

Devlin closed his eyes and swallowed as he attempted to contain the desolation he felt at Gwennetha's loss…as well as Malek's loss. He continued, trying to explain his feelings, _"I realized when the All took you from me that none of that was true. I did not hate you; I hated what you did. I loved you more than anything else in the universe. I did not wish we had never met and joined, for that was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Moreover, I knew then that if I never heard you again, I would be heartbroken and devastated. I felt so very alone when they took you. I never want to feel that aloneness again. There were no sounds from within me; no feeling of being held, no thoughts to keep me company, no heartbeat mingling with my own. The sound of the silence was almost more than I could bear,"_ he whispered, as he finished telling of his desolation at his loss of Malek.

Malek waited for his emotions to settle a little before saying, _"You have every right to feel those things, Devlin. I deserve that you feel those things. I am very sorry. I do not yet know how to make it up to you, or to Gwennetha, but I am willing to try anything that will ease both your minds and hearts." _

He paused again, trying to control the almost overwhelming disgust he felt at himself and his actions, as well as, his fathomless sorrow at the pain he had inflicted on the two beings in the universe that he loved the most. _ Shoving those emotions aside for now, he continued to answer Devlin, "As for the sound of the silence, I, too, came face to face with it. I have never been more terrified, lonely, and alone than I was when I realized that I could no longer feel you or hear you. I longed for your touch and yearned to be able to touch you from within, to feel your touch in return. I missed the warmth of your body and the sound of your heartbeat. I missed the whisper of your breathing and the comfort of your thoughts floating to me. It was as if there was nothing around me at all and I found it to be devastating. I have never given you the love and attention I should have, Dev, and I am so very sorry. I deeply regret not showing you my love more often. By that, I do not mean I did not love you, but that I failed to tell you and show you how very dear you are to me. I will not allow myself to so neglect you again."_

Devlin nodded, before answering him,_ "I do not believe that I still feel those things, Malek. I am just so grateful to have you back with me. I no longer feel the anger and resentment that I felt before. I have tried to look at this from your perspective, and though I find it hard to do, I can relate somewhat. You believed that Gwennetha hurt me, and you allowed it to happen. You thought she lied to us, even though she did not, and the hormones were throwing you completely off center." _

Dev paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, before he continued, _"You had almost no control of anything from the moment we began mating up to and including when we awoke that day. I accept your apology, Malek, and I hope you will accept mine. I am sorry I did not stand up to you and make you see it for what it was. I should have insisted that you allow Gwennetha to be with us and explain what happened. So we are both at fault in some ways; neither of us are blameless, so do not think it." _

_"Good did come out of it, however, Malek, for we have both realized things that we should have known by now. I never want to live through anything remotely like that again. I believe that I truly understand Lantash's feelings when he says he never wishes to again experience the prison in which Valynara placed him." _

Devlin felt several deep shudders pass through Malek, as he responded, _"I agree completely; I, too, wish never to experience anything that has even a resemblance to that again. As for your other words of comfort, I do thank you, Carusawyn. Perhaps I do not deserve that you are being so forgiving, but I welcome it just the same. I promise you that I will not allow this kind of thing to happen to us again. The next time something comes up, I will try to remember to ask for your opinion, and I expect you to share your viewpoint as well, even if I slip and do not ask. In fact, you must not wait for me to ask your opinion. You must make your feelings known. And, Devlin, there will no longer be a day go by that I do not tell you how loved and appreciated you are."_

_"I agree and I, too, will be sure to let you know that I care."_ He hesitated before asking, "_Do you think that we should begin thinking about what we will say to Gwennetha? For I fear it will take more than an apology, a kiss or two, and a smile."_

_"I am quite sure you are correct, Dev. We should start planning now. We already know we will do whatever we have to do to win Gwennetha back to us. Not matter what we have to do or how long it takes. Neither of us can live without her. So, the plan. Yes, we need to work on what we should do. Well, as soon as we take care of business. Artereos said the tea had to go somewhere." _ He sighed deeply. _"As usual, he was correct."_

Dev grinned as he and Malek stood to go take care of the tea. Suddenly they both felt a lightening of their spirits. Their worlds were not back to normal, and they still had many bridges to rebuild, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, they had hope, and they had a purpose. Furthermore, although it was a small thing, they had been granted a blessing; this time they were not trying to bring up their stomach.

TBC


	16. A Delightful Afternoon 16 DOTQ

**_Chapter Sixteen Summary:_**_ Martouf and Lantash worry about Sam going on the mission to Coreegadon that is scheduled for the next day. Gwennetha returns from Avilion and reconciles with Malek/Devlin. Kataya, Daniel, and Valynara make plans for the mission. _

**_Amat - _**_Love_

**_Carusawyn _**_– My Dearest One_

**_Coeurawyn_**_ – My Heart_

**_Amat(s) Wyn_**_ – My Love(s) _

**_Pher'ak'tel_** - _The Scent Given off by the Female During the Lun'ak'mat. It is an Aphrodisiac and Causes the Couple to Mate Repeatedly to Insure Conception. _

**_Lun'ak'mat_**_ – The Heat or Breeding Cycle of the Furling._

* * *

**_Daughters of the Queen_**

**_Chapter Sixteen_**

**_A Delightful Afternoon _**

* * *

Martouf stood on the balcony and looked out across the valley towards the temple that had given them such hope for the Tok'Ra. They had not found much more information yet, but as Daniel said, they had also barely begun sorting through all the material that they had available. Moreover, tomorrow, they were going to Coreegadon.

In the week since they found the legend and remembered the poems and songs, Malek had recovered and was now up and around, helping out with the sorting.

They whisked Gwennetha to Avilion when she began to lose the kits due to the stress under which she was living. Malek was striving not to fall into a state of depression, but it was not easy, since he knew himself to be the cause of her stress. She had refused to talk to them, and Merdwin had counseled them to be patient. Kataya was with her and Gwennetha would listen to her, he had told them, of that, he was sure.

Lantash and Martouf had insisted on seeing him the day after the _something _had happened. Malek had given them a thorough version of their responsibility and culpability in the present state of affairs.

He had talked to Lantash for quite some time, and only they knew how distraught he was. He was barely sleeping, as far as they could tell, and he was eating very little. His condition was deteriorating, though he was attempting to put on a good front. He joined in conversations about everyday events, but one could tell that it was an effort, and that he had no real interest in what anyone was saying.

On the other hand, as he worked on the scrolls, translations, and Tok'Ra history with them every day, and joined in the conversations and speculations surrounding it, there was no doubt that he was really interested and excited about it. He was going with them to Coreegadon tomorrow, and there was an air of expectation about him any time that they discussed the expedition. The future of the Tok'Ra and finding the Queens was the one thing that could raise him out of his misery and consume his thoughts, other than Gwennetha.

Nevertheless, if Gwennetha did not forgive them soon, he and Lantash were not sure what Malek and Devlin would do. It would be a severe blow to them, one from which they would have difficulty recovering. There was no doubt that they loved her. They would never doubt their feelings or her again. Their love for her and their culpability in what occurred struck home starkly, burned into their hearts, souls, and minds forever.

He was beginning to think that perhaps the All should have shown Gwennetha as well as Devlin and Malek, so that she would have known what was in store for them. Sighing, knowing that he could not solve their problems, he turned toward the open doorway just as Samantha walked out of the room.

"Martouf, I've been looking for you. Gwennetha's back and she is talking to Dev and Malek. I hope that things will be okay between them. I know that it's been a really stressful time for all of them."

"The kits? How are they? She did not lose them, did she?"

"No, she didn't, but she came pretty close to it. If they hadn't taken her to Avilion, she probably would have. I'm sure that Kataya talked to her a lot about the situation. I think that she told her something important because as soon as they arrived, she went straight to Malek and Dev. They looked pretty stunned, but it didn't take long for them to recover and pull her close into their arms. The last I saw of them, they were headed for their room," Sam told him, obviously happy at the thought of them making up their differences. She knew how hard it had been when Martouf was angry at her, for those few hours. She couldn't imagine living with that for a week as Gwennetha had.

"I am extremely pleased, Samantha. I was becoming afraid for Malek and Dev. They, too, were feeling the stress of the situation. The fact that she refused to let them go with her to Avilion was a deep blow to them. I do not think that she could have used a worse punishment, or better revenge, if she had deliberately thought it out. They are truly sorry for the way they responded and want to make it up to her in any way that they can. Malek was quite candid with us. He was very blunt about what had occurred, as you know."

"Yes, love, I know. Moreover, I think that Kataya told Gwennetha more, as well. But that wasn't all I came to tell you."

"Was it not, my Samantha? Then impart this news that you wished to tell me."

Sam laughed up at him, and as they strolled inside, she began to tell him the latest news. "Lanwin and Taesha are still immersed in training with the SGC. Merdwin's still there as well. We don't know when he'll be back, but it's possible that he'll be here for tomorrow's mission. Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Lieutenant Stevenson are joining us for the mission tomorrow, too. I take it that Artereos suggested it, since we aren't sure exactly what we may find when we get to Coreegadon. He and Merdwin both think that the planet is deserted, but they aren't positive. So, we go in well armed, and at our full contingent."

"Oh, and Brialek will be here as well. It seems that Artereos suggested to Garshaw that she send him an ambassador for a while." Sam smiled as she thought of the man she had come to care so deeply for. Taesha had been correct when she told Samantha how wonderful her grandfather was, and that she would come to love him. She had come to love him almost as much as he loved her own father, and she had a great deal of respect for him. He was an amazing and charismatic man.

"You will stay here with Valynara tomorrow, Samantha. I will not allow you to come into harm's way. You are carrying a very special gift, and I do not wish to take a chance on it being opened before it is time."

"I discussed it with Kataya and Artereos because I suspected you were going to, ah, _suggest_that. They both agree that there is no reason for me to stay here. We're pretty sure that there is no threat there. If there is, then we will retreat immediately. I won't be left behind, Martouf."

Martouf groaned, and looked at her beseechingly, "Samantha, please, do not do this to us. We will worry about you the entire time that we are there."

She sighed and shook her head as she looked at them with love in her eyes. "I'll be fine. You have to get used to me being in danger, Martouf. You can't live with this constant anxiety. I think that it will be a good exercise in not being so overprotective. Consider it on-site therapy."

She watched as Lantash came forward, probably to try to make her see reason. "Samantha, is it truly necessary for you to go? Why would you wish to risk yourself and the kits by going on a mission? Why is it so important to you?"

She took his face in her hands and leaned toward him, giving him a soft kiss full of love. "You can't protect me from everything, Lantash. I could slip in the shower, get run over by a car, or fall down the stairs. There are no guarantees. If this was likely to be a dangerous mission, I would stay behind, for your sake and Martouf's, not because I don't think that I would be perfectly all right. I'm still able to point and shoot a weapon."

"Please try to understand. This might be the only mission that I can go on. The next mission could be dangerous and I wouldn't be able to go, _Amat Wyn; _what if they all are? I won't have the same thrill that the rest of you will get to experience when you find a queen, or a clutch of mature symbiotes. Maybe you will find a stasis tank with younger ones in it. I want to share this with you at least this one time. I promise to take care and stay close to you. Will that help?"

Lantash smiled down at her wryly, "I think that it will have to. Your arguments are logical, sensible, and they have Artereos's blessing. He would not allow you to go if he felt that it was dangerous. All right, my Samantha, we will try not to panic tomorrow, and you will stay close to us."

Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss onto her forehead. "Come _Amat_, we have a couple of hours to ourselves today, while Valynara, Daniel, and Kataya go over the lists of people that are wishing to blend. There are thousands of them. How they will choose, I do not know."

"They finally decided that Kataya and Valynara will try to enter the symbiotes' minds, as well as the prospective hosts', if it looks like it's needed. Valynara thinks that the symbiotes are able to sense compatibility to a certain extent. I know that you've mentioned something about that, as well, Lantash, though from what you've told me, it's more a feeling of either liking or disliking on meeting, much as humans, so I don't know how deep it really goes."

"Anyway, they're hoping that once the symbiote chooses a person to blend with, the extra precaution in matching them up through a mind link might help in the compatibility factor and lead to fewer failures in the blendings. I don't see why it wouldn't work. Of course, that will take time away from the hunt, but with Brialek here now, as well as Malek and Gwennetha, we'll have more people going through the information, so maybe it won't make that much difference."

Lantash agreed, and they turned to go back inside. He would talk to Artereos himself, if he got a chance. He knew that he was planning to be here tomorrow. Perhaps he would have time to question him then. Soon, they would have to go back to the library, and the scrolls, books, and Tok'Ra history, but not just yet. He wished that they could remember other songs, or text, that would lead them to another site. He was sure they would eventually, but it seemed to be going too slowly.

He placed his hand lightly on Samantha's back as they walked toward their room. He smiled slightly. All it took was a touch, sometimes only a look, for him to want to make love to her again. He would be able to spend eternity with this woman and never become tired or bored with her.

She completed the two of them on such a deep level that they could not begin to find the beginnings of it. He and Martouf had talked privately of it often. Even while they had thought her gone from them forever, they had felt so connected to her still that it had often comforted them. As if she would remain a part of their very soul, until the end of time, if it came, or on into eternity, if it did not.

_"There will never be another woman for us, Carusawyn. Never will there be one to seep into the crevices of our soul and heal them. No other has ever seen the tears in our heart that she sees. Only she can smooth and soothe them, then covering them with a piece of her own heart, layering and melding them together, so delicately that they are completely whole, with not even a scar to be seen. I do not believe that she ever truly left us, Lantash. No other love we've had has ever been loved as we love her," _Martouf felt his words within his heart and soul, and so did Lantash, as he sent his silent agreement back to him.

_"Her physical body left us, Martouf, and we mourned that loss. However, her essence entwines and lives too deeply within us ever to leave us. I believe that we have both realized that now. It is as we have been shown and told; we are the recipients of a boundless eternal love, and it will never really leave us. It will stay within us forever. It grows in us, just as our seed is growing visibly in her. It is the most precious gift she will ever give to us, this part of her body and ours. We will not fail her in the loving and nurturing of these tiny seedlings with which she is honoring us," _Lantash told him, not for the first time.

_"No, we will not. Moreover, we will do our best to protect them. I will not say that we will protect them completely, for no one can do so. Even Artereos could not protect his daughters when the time came, and fate decreed otherwise. Nonetheless, we will do so to the best of our ability," _Martouf, too, reiterated his promises and feelings.

_"Which, I believe, the Tau'ri would declare is not too shabby,"_ Lantash stated, smiling slightly, as they entered the bedroom. His smile became brighter. What was it, that Samantha called this kind of interlude? Ah, yes. Afternoon Delight. It certainly was.

* * *

When Gwennetha stepped from the transport area, the first thing that she saw was Malek and Devlin. They stood across the room and watched her as she stepped forward. Dear Universe, they looked terrible, as if they were eating and sleeping very little. She felt a rush of guilt. She had refused to see them before she left for Avilion, where her mother insisted that she go, when it looked as if she would lose the kits. She had known that she was right and agreed with little fuss. She felt that she needed to get away, anyway. The Sanctuary was always a very healing place. Perhaps it would heal her heart. She knew that it would not, of course, for her mother's heart never truly healed. It had been soothed, though; she knew that much was true.

He mother told her that, while her refusal to see or talk to them was very hard on them, her refusal to allow them to go with her to Avilion devastated them. She admitted to her mother that she did not really believe it. Nor did she understand why they revoked the charges that they placed against her. They were, after all, legitimate charges. She had not told them, or asked their opinion and permission, before it happened.

Once they arrived at Avilion, were settled in, and the kits were no longer in danger, her mother had taken her severely to task, for her attitude. She reminded her again that Malek's response was exactly as they had expected, except that due to his extreme sensitivity to the hormones, it became much, much worse than they thought it would be. She had explained her own father's exasperating, wounded, and accusatory behavior towards herself. Why would she expect that Malek and Dev would be any different? They had anticipated that Malek would react even worse than her father had, and that expectation had been borne out. More bizarrely than they had expected, but he had recovered his equilibrium, and he wished to make his peace with her. His true feelings for her had never changed; he had only thought they had because of his extreme sensitivity to the hormones, and then, when you added the guilt he was feeling about Devlin on top of that you were looking at a disaster of monumental proportions.

Furthermore, Devlin had never wavered at all; he had simply been trying to stay calm and, in that manner, wait out Malek's frantic emotional storms, until he could reason with him. It had been a mistake, and he now realized that. It would not happen again.

She went on to explain a little about the host/symbiote relationship that Gwennetha had not realized. Malek felt as if he had failed to protect his host, and that was not acceptable. The symbiote always takes care of the host to the best of their ability. Malek, in his eyes, failed to do so. He felt as if he had betrayed Devlin, and his own mate was the cause of his lapse.

Beyond that, she had added, not protecting Devlin was not the only thing that was bearing down on Malek. Malek, her mother had stated, was a very proud being, sometimes arrogant and, unless captured and a prisoner, always in control of what was going on around him, or happening to them. Even when Devlin was in control of his body, Malek always knew that he could take control, if he needed to. During _Lun'ak'mat,_ because of the _Pher'ak'tel,_ Malek lost control of Devlin's body and his own. He was out of control. He could not control what happened and had not even wanted to at the time.

When he became aware of everything the next day, he felt assaulted. Even though it was not something that she could do anything about, he did not yet understand that, and in his eyes, she took away his free will as well as Devlin's free will. In addition to that, it appeared that you attacked them physically. Malek simply could not come to terms with his so-called failure, or what he believed, at the time, was a deception on your part along with a physical attack upon their body.

When you added in the fact that he could not control their response to the hormones that you released into their system through the scrapes that you inflicted, it was a disaster in the making. That was, no doubt, the final pebble that started the landslide, and took him rushing down the mountain, whether he wanted to go or not. His emotions swamped him and he had no control over them. Moreover, do not forget one of the ultimate humiliations; at least, it was as far as Malek was concerned. He begged to die. It was beyond both his comprehension and his control. Truly, one could not really blame Malek for his response. His exceptional sensitivity to the hormones, his "failure" to protect Devlin, her "attack" upon their person, the drugging that took away both his and Devlin's free will, and his final humiliation…No, _Coeurawyn_, one could not blame Malek completely. Nor could one blame Devlin for attempting to wait until he was more stable to talk to him. It was time to forgive and go forward.

Then, Kataya told her softly, there was Devlin's past to consider. Devlin hid some very painful things in his past, and Malek rescued him from a terrible situation that had gone on for at least ten years. It was the basis for Devlin's loyalty to Malek. Because of his loyalty, he felt that he could not go against him in this. Therefore, they both had legitimate excuses for the way that they acted. Kataya went on to tell her that as much as she loved them, she should forgive them and apologize to them. Now that she was calmer, she agreed with her mother. After all, they revoked the charges that Malek placed before the all, and they were asking to see her. It was time to put this behind them and start over. Her mother was correct…as she usually was.

Therefore, after she stepped out of the transport area, she didn't stop walking or take her eyes off them as she crossed the floor to them. When she reached them, she put her arms around them and started to cry. Malek wrapped their arms around her and looked over her head at Kataya, his expression showing both dismay and panic. He did not know what to do. She indicated that they should take her to their room, and Malek wasted no time in scooping her up high against his chest and striding quickly toward the transport area. Kataya was right. He needed to take her somewhere that they could be alone and talk. He wished them to be alone, so that he and Devlin could start trying to win her back to them.

_"Do you think that she is crying because she has decided that she can no longer live with us, or trust us, and doesn't know how to tell us?" _ Dev managed to ask Malek, his fear very apparent in his voice. _"She sounds as if she is heartbroken."_

_"I do not know. I sincerely hope that it is not. I believe that many women cry for various reasons, not all of which make sense to me. However, I do not believe that this type of crying is that variety. This seems to be a much more serious, and probably more specific, crying, not some random thing that has upset her," _Malek's tone was almost grim, as all of the many reasons for Gwennetha's tears raced through his mind.

_"Do you think that Artereos did not tell us the truth about the kits, as well as our Gwennetha being fine and back to normal?" _The thread of fear in Dev's voice grew deeper as he questioned Malek.

_"No. I can tell you that with certainty. I do not believe that Artereos would lie to us. He would have told us if something had gone wrong again. And I do not believe that he would have sounded as cheerful as he did, if he had just lost his unborn grandchildren," _Malek reassured him.

_"I had not thought of that, but you are right, Malek. Artereos is thrilled about the kits, both Gwennetha's and Samantha's. If something had happened, he would have told us, and his mood would not have been as it was," _Devlin's answer was somewhat relieved.

Reaching their room, Malek managed to open the door without putting Gwennetha down. Kicking the door shut behind them with one foot, he strode quickly to the bed, and then set her down gently on the edge of it.

Not knowing exactly what to do, he grabbed a container of tissues that were similar to the ones that they had seen on Earth and put some of them into her hand, before rushing to the facilities room to grab a cloth, which he soaked in cold water.

He knelt on the floor in front of her, taking her free hand in his. He was still at a loss as to what to do next.

"Hush, _Amat Wyn_, please, do not cry so. Please, Gwennetha, we cannot bear to hear you weep so. You are breaking our hearts," he murmured softly.

She pulled on his hand, which he took to mean that she wanted him to sit next to her.

Malek sat on the edge of the bed, took her into their arms, and cradled her there. She was crying as if she would never stop, and he was afraid that she would begin to lose the kits again. Unfortunately, he didn't have any idea of how to calm her down. She was murmuring as she cried, her face, now that he was sitting beside her, buried in his shoulder and throat. Not only could he barely hear her through her sobs, but also part of what he heard, he could not understand. She was speaking in a combination of Furling and Goa'uld, so of the words that he could make out, he only understood about half. He was not fluent in Furling, and what he knew did not extend to cover something like this.

_"Pull her as close to our body as you can, Malek, and then rock her in our arms, and rub her back in soft circles. Many cultures find those to be soothing gestures, and I believe that the Furling are such. I remember Kataya rubbing circles on my back, as well as long, gentle stokes up and down. It was very comforting," _Devlin did his best to explain to Malek what he remembered seeing and feeling at times similar to this.

_"Yes. I remember that she also did it the evening that we found out about what I had done. I think that you are correct, and I will try anything to stop her. She must stop soon, or she will make herself ill again," _Malek responded, obviously highly distressed by her actions. His bewilderment and unease were growing, as well. He was at a complete loss in this situation. He began to try once again to stop her, adding Devlin's suggestions. It seemed like hours, but they knew that it was probably only minutes before her sobs lessened. They both breathed a sigh of relief, since neither of them knew how to cope with this other than as they were doing.

It took only a few minutes more before they could make out her words and when they understood them, Malek leaned back from her abruptly, simply staring at her. He then took her by the shoulders and shook her just enough to surprise her into giving him her attention.

"No, Gwennetha, you will not tell us that you are sorry for what you did. You did nothing wrong. We did. I—I did. Not you. Never you."

"Malek, do not say that, I know…"

_"No. No. No. _You owe us nothing. We, however, do owe you. We owe you more than an apology. We owe you our love and our faith. I did not give you that, even though I promised to do so. You have every right to deny me anything you wish, and it would be no more than I deserve. I will do whatever you want me to do, but please do not blame Devlin. There are reasons…"

"I know. I know that there are reasons. I do not know what they are, nor do you have to tell me. My mother told me." She shook her head and lifted her fingers to his lips to stop him from interrupting, as she continued, "Not what the reasons _are,_ only that they are legitimate. I know that there are things that have made Devlin very loyal to you, Malek, and that he has reason to be."

"That is enough for me, for my mother would not lie to me. I know that she is helping Devlin with the pain of whatever happened. For her to be doing that, it must be something that is terribly painful. If it was not, then she would do it all at once. She can absorb and diffuse a great deal of emotional as well as physical pain, Malek. The fact that she is not doing it in one session would tell me that it is a very painful thing, even if she had said nothing."

"That is true, and I assure you that it is a very painful thing. After Kataya has finished with the sessions, then we will tell you, when the pain is less, I promise you. Devlin and I have talked about it and agreed that you should know. We are willing to tell you now, if you want us to." Malek looked at her closely as he made his promise.

"No. No, I do not need that," she assured him softly.

"Then Gwennetha, tell me what you do need, so that we can begin to rebuild our relationship. We know it will take time, and that you will not trust me. I cannot blame you for that, and I know that only time will prove that it will not happen again. But, I will prove it someday."

"The only thing that you and Devlin need to show me is that you still love me, and that you have forgiven me for what happened. I know that you probably do not want to have kits," she swallowed hard before she could continue, and her voice slipped into a whisper, "but, I will love them."

"_We_, all three of us, will love them fiercely, Gwennetha. They are a part of us. Devlin has been ecstatic from the moment that we found out. I am afraid that I took longer to realize what a special and wonderful gift you are giving to us, but I am very aware of it now. It is something that I never thought to have happen. It seems quite wonderful to me now that it has happened, and I have finally opened my eyes to what it is."

"We have been so worried this past week. If Artereos had not kept us updated on what was happening, I think that we would have lost our minds. We do love you so much."

"I know," she still whispered. "I love both of you more than anything else. Moreover, you are both wrong about what I owe to you. I owed you the benefit of the doubt. I should have realized what was making you so upset. Furthermore, it was my responsibility to tell you what our mating for breeding entailed before we bonded. I am truly sorry that I did not."

As he once again began to protest, she again stopped him with her fingers. "Let us begin again, Malek. We were both wrong in what we did and did not do. Let us put it behind us and go forward from this day. Please. You wished to know what I want from you. That is what I want; a new beginning, learning, and growing together, for the three of us."

Looking deeply into her eyes, he nodded. "All right. If that is truly, what you want, then I will not deny you. Nevertheless, we will not forget what we did, or how very wrong it was of us, myself, in particular. There are so many ways that I was wrong, _Amat Wyn, _that I do not know if I will ever feel free of guilt. We love you more than ever, Gwennetha, and I…I am sorry; _Coeurawyn,_ I must say something about it. It is a very important thing for me that I wish you to know. Please, do not deny me."

Gwennetha sighed, and then nodded her head, before adding slowly, as if she was thinking her words through, "All right, Malek. Perhaps you are correct. I feel that I have said what I needed to say. It is not fair of me to deny you what you feel you need to say to me. So, please do and I promise that I will listen."

He accepted her statement and then added his own, "Gwennetha, I no longer feel the way I did when it first happened. I do not know why, but I did not truly understand that you had no control over what happened." He held up his hand to stop her from commenting. He wanted to say this, as he felt it was very important to his peace of mind that she know his feelings about it.

Much as she did, he began speaking, somewhat slowly at first, as if testing his words, "Looking back, once my mind began to clear, and I finally listened to Devlin, as well as the others who tried to help us, I realize that…for you, the Furling breeding cycle was a fact of life. Had you mated with a Furling or a race familiar with your cycle, you would not have even thought to mention it. Why should you, after all? One does not explain a fact of one's life. It is _not your fault_ that Devlin and I were so very ignorant about the Furling. Furthermore, I feel sure, now that I can think more clearly, that you would have explained had you realized what was happening to us, and you would either have left us, or asked our permission after explaining what was occurring."

Once more, he stopped her from speaking before continuing, "When we became mated, you had a great many other things on your mind. They were things that were much more important than telling us about the Furling mating cycle. We were facing a devastating battle; a battle made more so for you, because you _knew_ that you would lose your mother, and you could not even share that with us." He shook his head, "No, my dearest love, you have nothing about which to apologize to us. I am absolutely sure that in your place, I would not have thought to tell you, either."

"Last, but certainly not least, Gwennetha, I promised you unwavering faith, both in you, and in the fact that you would never knowingly hurt us. I did not remember my vow to you. Had I done so, I would have realized that you did not do any of it deliberately to hurt Devlin or me. I am truly sorry that I broke that vow. I will never do so again, I promise you…for what it is worth. I realize it is not worth very much at the moment, but someday, I hope that it will be. I will do my very best to see to it that it does."

"Therefore, as you requested, we will now put it behind us and start anew, if…if you will allow us to do so, and permit us to show you how very much we truly love you."

All Gwennetha could do over the lump in her throat was nod at first, but finally she managed to whisper to them, "I agree. I will allow us all to put it behind us and begin anew. I will also permit you to show me how much you love me, as I will show you how very much I love you. Those things being true; Come to me, _Amates Wyn_, and show me your passions."

Malek smiled for the first time in what felt like weeks. "I will. We will. However, can you—can you mate with us? Will we hurt the kits, Gwennetha? We do not want anything to happen to the kits."

"Yes, I can mate, or as Samantha calls it, make love to you. I have a clean bill of health. It is why they kept me for an entire week, so that I would be well enough to make love with you fully_. _Now, come to me. It is time to heal our hearts and soothe our bodies. Make sweet passionate love to me, my loves, make love to me."

Malek laughed softly as the gladness welled within both his and Devlin's hearts. "It is a true way to say it, _Coeurawyn_. Make love to my mate, our mate. We wish to make love to our mate."

She smiled back at him. "It is my wish as well," her voice was husky with desire as she watched his lips descend toward hers. She felt Devlin come forward after Malek had thoroughly kissed her, to kiss her just as well. She knew that Devlin had let Malek talk to her, for his sake. Malek felt very guilty, she knew. However, he would eventually forgive himself, once he realized that she had already done so.

They might still have some rough spots to go through, but they would survive them and come out the stronger for them. She felt their lips caressing her throat and their fingers working on the fasteners to her gown. Yes, there was no doubt in her mind. She was back where she belonged. Just being in their arms was making this afternoon a sweet delight.

* * *

"Well, I guess that about does it. Therefore, we have the first few thousand names. How many more are there, Valynara?" Daniel leaned back in his chair and arched his back, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and the small of his back with the other.

He was sore from head to foot today, but the reason brought a smile to his face. Kataya had come home from Avilion two days ago. They had spent the last two nights loving as if they were new mates. Some of the positions that they had tried had left a kink in his back. It had been worth it. He forced his mind to leave their bedroom gymnastics and concentrate on what Valynara was saying.

"I really do not know, Daniel, but the adult population is quite large. I would guess that there are literally thousands. We stopped taking names when we reached the three thousand mark. In addition, all those on our list were eligible, so we should have many for others that we find. That, of course, is assuming that there are not several thousand symbiotes on Coreegadon. Which, you know, the more I consider it, we should not discount. It is very possible."

"I have not mentioned it to the others so as not to disappoint them, if it proved otherwise, but I believe that Egeria had a special world that she left a great many of her children on. I do not know why, but something leads me to think it may be Coreegadon. I feel that I am missing something, but what it is, I cannot say. I have learned not to discount my feelings, as most Furling do for they inevitably mean something. We are not all seers, as some, but we all have some sense of "other"."

"I do know that if this is the world, then I shall ask Artereos to help me to shield the Star Portal as ours here is. Not because there will be symbiotes there any longer, but because the Goa'uld must never find any remaining sign of her there. And if the Temple is hers, I do not want it destroyed, but kept for her children."

"If we are lucky enough to find more symbiotes than we have hosts ready, it will be a simple matter to request the next group. Even though we only have these, they are still cataloguing names in the villages, towns, and cities, as well as all over the countryside. They will also have sent out messages to the other continents, so those living farther away, will also begin to make their lists. There will be a great many available hosts, Daniel, so do not frown so. As soon as the outlying continents can do so they will send representatives along with the first of their groups of hosts."

"Our people here have flourished, and had large families, anticipating the day that they would be needed and wanted by the Children of their Egeria. Now that the day has come, they are eager to become hosts and serve. You must understand the honor it is to have a symbiote in your family. Only those who do not have a symbiote within their family group may claim one, until each family who wishes one has one. Perhaps, soon, they will all be able to claim a descendant of Egeria." Valynara smiled happily at them.

"If we ever find the next clutch," Daniel sighed resignedly. "Finding these worlds is proving even harder than I thought it would be. At one time, I thought that it would be fairly easy, but it seems to be getting harder, not easier."

"We will find them, Daniel. I know that you can do it. You are not one to give up, and it will take both patience and persistence, which you have in abundance."

Daniel grinned at her, saying, "Kataya says the same thing."

"I do not believe that she was talking about your dedication to your work when she mentioned it, though." Valynara watched the color spring into his cheeks. She laughed lightly, and then she stopped teasing him to return to the job at hand.

"Some of these people I know quite well, but others not at all. I trust Alys'yiat's mother and father, though. They know everyone in their town very well. Her father is the mayor, and her mother and grandmother are the local healers. Her grandmother's symbiote is to pass to Alys'yiat upon her grandmother's death. She is almost four hundred years old now, and soon it will be time. Alys'yiat and her symbiote will mourn her passing together, as families here have been doing for centuries."

"All very fascinating, I am sure," Valynara grinned at Daniel, "but, I believe that I was telling you something else and became side tracked. Ah, yes, now I remember. As I was saying, Alys'yiat's parents and grandmother know many in this first group. Some of them are from a different village very close to their town, but here again; the mayor and local healer knew them."

"This list has already been gone over by Alys'yiat's parents, as well as her grandmother, and all of them were approved. Even Evalinia Callendaut, who was a rival of Alys'yiat's mother's, and Joncast Tevinson, who was a rival of her father's. They have feuded for years, but as you can see, they are on the list. Personal prejudice will play no part in the choices. Even though they do not like them, in all honesty, they will admit that there is no reason not to allow them on the list, and therefore they allowed them on as acceptable."

"The only ones that will not be allowed on the lists are known criminals. Their names will be on a separate list. They wish to discuss them with the Tok'Ra first, to see if it might be a way to control the criminal. Not that the symbiote would control the host completely, but perhaps it would, shall we say, prevent undesirable actions and behavior. That is, if a Tok'Ra would even take one. Then it will be considered," Valynara, explained.

"Yes, I can see their reasoning, but that, as you say, should be discussed with the Tok'Ra. Selmak might be a good one to give advice on that," Daniel remarked after giving it a little thought. He nodded his understanding, and then pressed on to the next topic. "The only thing we need to decide, then, is how to do the blendings. Do we attempt to take the people to them or bring them to the people?"

"What would you think of the team going through first and checking everything out? If they are there, and we can get them to come to the water's edge, then perhaps I can set a link and find out if they are one of Egeria's clutches. The truth is that until we go and do some reconnaissance, we do not know what we need or how we can do the blendings. We will not know if we need to take both a transport container and a few of the new hosts, or not. We could blend a few of them there at the Coreegadon Temple and the rest in the Temple of the Twylight Nights. The other alternative would be to ask the host and symbiote where they would prefer to blend. Perhaps they would have a preference. How does that sound?" Kataya questioned, as she entered the room and sat down next to Daniel and Valynara.

"I would have no objection to doing it either way." Valynara turned to Daniel. "What is your opinion, Daniel?"

"It makes sense to have a few blend at the site, just to be sure that we're definitely on the right track. I am pretty sure, though, that if you and Kataya can get a link, we will know from that. It still might be a good idea to do a few of them there, though. It might take some of the uncertainty out of it, if there are some symbiotes that are leery of whether we are Goa'uld sympathizers."

"Once blended, Kataya can set a link for a three-way so that they can be reassured by the first few brave souls, that blend that we really are not associated with the Goa'uld. I think that it might be easier to blend from the lake than in the Twilight Temple, but I really suppose it should be up to the host and symbiote."

"That sounds reasonable to me, Daniel. A sensible plan, which is wonderful to have and will probably be all for naught, once you get there and find out how matters really are." Valynara nodded.

Daniel grinned at her, obviously agreeing with her statement, before turning to Kataya and asking, "How did it go with Malek and Gwennetha, _Coeurawyn_? Will she forgive them?"

"I am hopeful that she will and that they will. Malek and Devlin look terrible, and I have given Gwennetha a great deal to think about during the past week. I reminded her that both of them acted as we expected and why. She knows that we would not tell her to forgive them, if we did not think that they deserved it. She was crying, and Malek was panicking when I left. I indicated to him that he should take her upstairs and begin repairing the damage that has been wrought."

"You're sure that there's no more danger to the kits?" Daniel asked her quietly, his worry evident.

"Yes, I am quite sure. They kept her until they could release her to do whatever she pleases. I am sure that will please Malek and Devlin as well."

Daniel smiled at her. "Yes, I'm sure that it will."

Valynara was looking over the list one more time, "We should choose a handful of people to go. They will wait at the Twilight Temple until you come back for them. It will be the first time through the gate for most of them. Only a very few have ever ventured beyond this world. I will contact Alys'yiat's mother and father through a link, if we are successful in finding adult symbiotes. They will gather the remainder of the group that will be receiving symbiotes."

"Of course, as excited as the people are, they may very well come with us as far as the Temple, and then wait there to hear what we do, or do not, find. It would save us time, if we do find symbiotes there. Either way, it will not take them long to arrive there, if they are summoned after we find the symbiotes and deduce that they are indeed Tok'Ra."

"When are Colonel O'Neill and his team due to arrive?" She wanted to know.

"They will be here by around eight o'clock this world's time, which is actually a little later than Earth time." Kataya said absently, as she looked over some papers.

"All right, we should all be here and ready when they arrive. Is it just the three of them?" Daniel watched Kat shuffle papers and look at her watch. She wanted to get this finished. He grinned to himself, knowing why she wanted to finish it, and it wasn't to take a walk.

"I am not sure. They may have added a fourth person to the team, but if that is so, I have not heard." Kat shrugged.

"Jack isn't real, ah, happy when they add new members to the team. I think that he will wait for Sam to come back. I hate to tell him, but she may not now. I hope that she does, though. It wouldn't be the same without her." Daniel knew Jack better than any other person on the team knew him.

"You are right, _Carusawyn_, it would not. However, she may choose not to continue off-world missions. Once the kits are here, she will make her choice. If she decides to continue, then we will find a good nursery maid. It will not be difficult. I continued after my kits were born. It was a wrench at first, but we all soon became accustomed to it, and it became a fact of their life and mine. It is a fact that has remained in our lives ever since then. It never made my love for them any less nor did it affect theirs for me," Kataya pointed out quietly.

"I never even thought about the kits part. I was thinking about Lantash and Martouf. What if they decide to rejoin the Tok'Ra?" Daniel questioned.

Kataya nodded somberly. "Yes, at that point, she would have to make a decision. However, I do not believe they will return to them. They enjoy the Tau'ri world and their life there. Then, too, I fully believe that there will soon be many, many Tok'Ra, and it will not be so very important that they are all working within the Tok'Ra. One of their operatives living on the Tau'ri world will hardly be noticed…if we are correct, and we do find a significant amount of symbiotes."

"I guess you're right. It just feels so weird to think about there being a lot of Tok'Ra. I mean, it feels great to know they are safe as a species, but it feels weird to know that there could actually be so many of them."

"I know, my love, but what is it your poets, or authors, said? This, too, shall pass. And, of course, it will, as all things do."

Pulling them back from what looked to become a long and involved conversation, Valynara let them know that she was leaving, "I really do have to run, my dears. If you think of anything else before tomorrow, just touch me through the link. I will either answer, or tell you that I will get back to you later, if that is acceptable?"

"That'll be fine, Val. We'll be as near as the link, as you know. I have my doubts that anyone will do much work the remainder of this afternoon, actually. Malek, Dev, and Gwennetha probably won't surface until time to embark on the mission in the morning. I saw Martouf and Sam heading upstairs not long ago, as well. Since our helpers seem to have deserted us, I believe that my lady and I may just play least in sight for a few hours ourselves this afternoon, and very possibly, on into the night." Daniel smiled mysteriously, as his look slid to Kataya.

"In that case, I will bid you goodbye, for now."

"We will see you in the morning, Val," Kataya answered, before turning to Daniel. "What is it that you wish to do this afternoon, _Amat Wyn_? Do you believe that playing hooky for a day would be good for all of us? I believe that you are correct."

"And "_I believe" _that I am in the mood to make love to my Soul's mate, while we dance in the fire, to the very heights that the fire can take us. It feels like it's been forever since we've done that, Kataya, and though I still don't have that many firm memories, my gut tells me that we used to dance in the fire during, ah, those times, pretty often. Right?"

"Yes, Daniel, as a matter of fact, we did. We both loved the sensation, and it never bothered us, no matter how often we, ah, played_,_ in it, which it does to some. I would love to do so with you, my love. Shall we take a bed fur and surrender to the dance just as twilight falls in the Temple of the Twilight Nights?"

"I can't think of any other place I'd rather be on such a delightful afternoon than with you, Kataya. Tomorrow will be soon enough to face the future and whatever it holds for all of us."

TBC


	17. Coreegadon 17 DOTQ

**_Chapter Seventeen Summary: _**_Sam, Martouf, Lantash, Gwennetha, Malek, Devlin, Kataya and Daniel all stay overnight in the Twilight Temple. The rest of the group begins to arrive the next morning. Soon, a team is formed and they enter the Stargate and step out on Coreegadon. It doesn't take long to find that for which they are searching. The Temple is a treasure trove of information. _**_  
_**

**_Adorata -_**_ Adored_

**_Amat Wyn_**_ **–** My Love_

**_Amat_**_ **–** Love_

**_"Italics" –_**_ Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communications_

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**Coreegadon**_

* * *

"Come on, Martouf, you and Lantash have to get up. It's almost daylight, and we have to get up and get breakfast. We need to get up and around. The mission's due to start in a few hours," Sam shook Martouf's shoulder and heard Lantash mumble in response.

Across the temple, she heard the sultry, dark laugh that belonged to Kat. She groaned. Good grief. They had all ended up here last night. Kat and Daniel had danced in the fire, and it had drawn her and Martouf like moths to a flame. They had gathered their things for the mission and come to the temple. It had the same effect on Gwennetha and Malek. They had turned up shortly after Sam and Martouf. Kat had sent the men back for more bed furs, dividers, and something more to fix for breakfast. The women had decided who would take which part of the Temple.

Sam frowned. There had been no question of anyone leaving. Almost as if they were performing some ancient rite, they had carefully laid out the bed furs and put up the screens that the men brought. Looking at the spots they had chosen, she was surprised. They were in a perfect triangle. She shook her head. Surely, it was just a coincidence. They didn't really put them exactly this way for any real reason. Then why had it felt like a ritual as well as a magnificent night of making love? At times, it had seemed almost transcendental. They had played in the fire and touched the universe, become one as only the fire can accomplish.

Once they all settled into their beds, Kat began to call the fire, and she had pulled it for each of them. Sam and Gwennetha had also called theirs; the energy in the room had been off the scale, of that Sam was sure. She had never experienced anything quite like making love in that cocoon of energy. It had been an indescribable sensation. They'd only been able to savor and luxuriate in it at that level once. It had left them completely sated and relaxed.

She had lost count of the times Kat had summoned it for herself and Daniel. Of course, she was pretty sure that they didn't make love each time, but still. And, if she hadn't kept falling asleep, she probably could have kept count better. She grinned at herself as she nudged Martouf again. "Come on, lazy. Let's go. It's almost daylight. Day's a-burnin'."

"Samantha, you are well aware that we are not early morning risers. Give us a moment or two to open our eyes, at least. There is no emergency that would cause us to leap from our nice, warm bed. We will be more awake in a moment. I promise." Lantash was mumbling as Martouf refused to awaken enough to talk yet. He forced Martouf's eyes open. "You are out of bed. Perhaps if you came back, we could persuade Martouf that there is sufficient reason for him too awaken before daylight."

"Why, you smooth talker, you. How can I resist such an invitation?"

"By all means, Sam, please do accept his invitation, so that we can be free of his whining. We do not need to arise yet. Breakfast will be simple. But soon, I agree." Kataya added her opinion from the wall nearest the front entrance, where Sam could hear muffled chuckling, along with the rustling of rugs and blankets. Directly across from them, suspicious sounds arose from behind the screen standing there. Gwennetha giggled, only to be quickly hushed.

Sam laughed again and settled back down beside Lantash and Martouf. "Now that we have awoken everyone else, I suppose that I can come back for a few minutes. Just long enough to make you wish that you hadn't invited me."

"You are a torturer, my love. I believe that you enjoy making us suffer," Lantash answered laughingly. Then he sobered, and his eyes lost their sparkle as he looked at her somberly, "May you torture us every day for the remainder of our lives, our Samantha, for even that will not be long enough to experience all the sweetness of lying in your embrace that we desire." She sighed softly as his lips claimed hers in a soft kiss of promise.

"Maybe we don't have to leave quite as soon as I thought that we did, Lantash. We have a little while before it's full daylight. Everyone else is either back to sleep, or busy enjoying themselves. We could, ah, good morning, Martouf, I see that Lantash was able to convince you that there was a good reason to wake up before daylight. I was just explaining to him that we could…"

"Yes, Samantha, so we could, if, that is," he kissed her shoulder, "you could find it," he kissed her other shoulder, "in your heart," he kissed her throat, "to remain," he kissed her lips, "silent long enough."

Sam's only response was with her hands, lips, and tiny gasps.

* * *

"Hey campers, how is everyone? Little mothers both going with us?" Jack O'Neill looked to Artereos standing quietly in the background and asked firmly, "Is that a good idea? Should they be, you know, taken apart by this thing and put back together in their condition? What if it puts something in the wrong place?"

Artereos came forward and clasped Jack O'Neill's arm in the typical warrior's greeting, one hand clasping his forearm as his other hand clasped his shoulder. He respected Jack, regardless of his prejudices against other races. He truly didn't realize what he felt, and most of it was simple misunderstanding and distrust. He had lost much in his life, but the day would come when he found something to cherish and believe in again. It would change him, but that time was not yet, although it would not be long off, and until then, one accepted him as he was.

"We have traveled through the portal since the Ancients, as you call them, erected them, and they made sure that they were safe for all manner of creatures. That does not preclude accidents, of course, which I am sure that you know, for they do happen, but then, accidents can happen even at one's home. It is no more likely here, than there."

Jack frowned. "How did you guys travel from one place to another before the Stargates were put up? In ships? That long ago?" He seemed skeptical.

"No, we simply made our own portals with our, ah, manipulation of energy, and the use of our crystals. However, it took a great deal of our energy, and many had to use some of our best priests and priestesses to open one if the travel was far. Some of us were able to do what was needed ourselves, however." Artereos smiled, remembering days when things were not as simple as they were today.

"I remember that. We were trained to do that almost as soon as we could walk. It does take a great deal of energy. I remember the first time that I was able to make a path to Dragmyst. I was so excited, and then you would not let me go alone, and Dayillon would not go with me because he was reading about some musty old Elvin wars and translating the Legends about the wars that were to come."

Kat paled. Then gasped. "Daniel, I _remember_ you translating the Legends. There are more of them; I know there are. I was no more than ten, if that old and you were only slightly older. Moreover, I remember lying on the floor kicking my feet, trying to get your attention, being so very bored, but nothing, absolutely nothing, would get you to stop reading. Then you looked up at me and your eyes were glowing with excitement, and you smiled the sweetest smile at me. My heart and soul recognized you, and I fell in love with you that day. You started reading the Legends aloud to me, and soon, we were both translating them." She laughed. "How could I have forgotten that?"

Daniel smiled, but his was soft, wistful. "I went with you later, after we finished translating one of the scrolls that talked about the beauty of the world called Dragmyst and the Dragons that dwelt there. You were exhausted from making the first portal, and we became really, really distracted-"

"_You_ became really, really distracted."

"-and the portal closed, and you didn't have enough energy to make another one to get us home. You had a ferocious temper, even at that age, Kataya." Daniel looked rueful.

"What happened?" Gwennetha looked avidly from one to the other. She had never heard this story from her mother's childhood.

Daniel flushed. "We were waiting for her energy to return, and she was meditating, you know, pulling energy. Even then, your mom could pull in some pretty impressive amounts of energy, when she was calm and serene, while she meditated. Unfortunately, she was sort of, er, upset about the portal closing, so she wasn't able to really tune into the energy around her, and it wasn't going well. I was acting as conduit. So, I was sitting with my arms around her, and my head was on her shoulder. I was asleep," he continued defensively. "Hell, I was only ten or so. How amorous can a ten-year-old bookworm be? I'm not sure that I even knew what sex was yet!"

Suddenly Kataya giggled. "A portal opened, and Merdwin came thundering through it, all anger and fire and retribution. He took one look, and I thought that he was going to kill Daniel."

"Yes, and at ten years of age, you were as formidable an opponent as you are today, _Adorata," _announced a voice from behind them. "You did not think that I would allow you to make this first mission without me, did you?" Merdwin sauntered forward, completely at ease, his usual lazily dilettante air at full force.

He turned toward his daughter, "To finish the tale, Gwennetha, your mother slowly rose to her feet, lowering Daniel's sleeping form to the ground and placing a protective shield around him; one which I could have blown away with one flick of my finger, but it was the act that caught my attention and calmed my ire. She then turned to face me with her hands on her hips and her jaw set."

"And she proceeded to say to me, _"If you have come to help me renew my energy, so that I can complete a passage home more quickly, then you are welcome here, and I will gladly accept your help. If you have come to yell, and be an annoyingly unhelpful, loud, and unperceptive nuisance, then you may just turn yourself around, and return the way you came. Please tell my father, and Daniel's, that I apologize for our tardy return, but I forgot the time, during our exploration of Dragmyst, and our portal closed. I will return Daniel, unharmed, to his parents as soon as my energy is renewed, and I can summon a new portal. You may go, Merdwin."_

He laughed, "She had pulled rank on me, the devious little darling, but that would not have stopped me, if I truly had believed there was a need to remain angry. However, by the time she had finished her coldly calm and rational statement of intent, I was aware that Daniel had become fascinated by something, lost track of time, and she would not force him to leave, nor would she leave without him."

Therefore, I bowed graciously. Indicated that I had indeed come to help them and escort them back, if they wished to return. She woke Daniel up, and we returned home. Daniel's father sighed over Daniel's absent-mindedness, and Kataya's praised her for remaining beside her friend and defending him…and for being able to defuse a dangerous situation, without harm to either side, as well as courage for standing up to me, a larger and obviously stronger foe."

"Her more intensive, formal training as a warrior began the next day, which was a thing that she had been requesting for quite some time. She never looked back, and when she walked into the fire to forge her soul a few scant years later, she pledged herself to fight the evil within the universe, but more specifically, the Mage Daemon Lords, and then the Goa'uld, even though the Goa'ulds coming was still far into the future."

"And now, I believe that we have a mission to execute. Should we not gather ourselves and our equipment, so that we might be on our way?"

"We are still waiting for Valynara and a few of the hosts, Merdwin. Janet, I'm glad that you decided to come. Are you going through with us?" Sam asked, smiling and hugging her friend. She would think about the story that she just heard later. There was food for thought there. It was insight into her Furling family, a rare look at her sister's childhood and a much, much younger Merdwin, Daniel, and Artereos as well.

"Yes, I have the next few days off, so Merdwin and I decided to come along. I wanted to be here to monitor you and Gwennetha. Yes, I know everyone says that you will be okay, but I want to see for myself, okay?"

"And I wanted to go along just to be there. To see if we found anything, of course, and, if we did, then I didn't want to miss the excitement. I mean, this is the most exciting thing to find. The lost children of a race. A chance for them to become what they were ultimately meant to be. In a way, it's like birth, Sam, the possible birth of hundreds of new beings. The more I thought about it, the more I just couldn't stay away."

"Oh, God, Janet, you have no idea. I'm exactly the same. I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. I think we all are. I wish you and Merdwin had come last night."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, Kataya and Daniel decided to spend the night in the Twilight Temple and dance in the fire. Have you and Merdwin done that?"

"Are you kidding? Does a Furling know how to mind link?"

"Then you know what it does during, um, sex. You know how incredible that it makes it. Anyway, back to what I was saying. Martouf and I had the same idea. We'd spend the night here and be ready first thing in the morning. There was just something about the idea of being here when the sun came up that sounded right to us. So, we came down and Kat and Daniel were already here. Luckily, they were already redre-, well, never mind, but anyway, we told them what we felt we wanted to do, so they asked us to join them."

"Daniel said that at first, they were just going to come down and dance in the fire, but then, they decided that they might as well stay all night, so they grabbed a couple of rugs, and the stuff that they would need for the mission. Then we turned up with our stuff, and shortly after us, Malek and Gwennetha came in with all of their stuff. We had a nice evening, and then the guys went back for the dividers and more food. After that, it was a great night, as you can imagine. We think that Daniel and Kat pulling all that energy drew us all here, but Kat thinks that it was something else. Some deeper thing within the universe that is beyond simple conscious recognition." Sam shrugged.

"What do you think, Sam? Really think?" Janet asked softly.

Sam's mouth opened to say that it was just the fire calling them on a subconscious level, but she closed it before she could get the words out. She tried again. "I realized this morning that we'd chosen spots for our beds in an exact triangle. We set candles at each corner of each screen, also forming triangles. Our beds were made in such a way that when we were lying on the bed, we completed a triangle with the two sides of the screen. I don't know what I think. I'm a scientist." She finally answered almost roughly.

"Don't discount anything, Sam. There are so many things that we've learned lately that we would have put down as fairy tales and magik not long ago. They _are_ what we, and they themselves, call sorcerers and magik wielders. You, yourself, are becoming more adept at it. No, Sam, there is no point in denying it to me. This is Janet, here. No secrets between us. You are still Samantha Carter remember? No matter what you learn to do, no matter what special talent you may develop, you have always been, and will always be, Samantha Carter, US Air Force Officer, Friend, and Colleague. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't, Janet. Thank heavens that you're still here to keep me grounded. Sometimes, I think that my life is just a story in a book. Then I look at Martouf and Lantash, or touch my abdomen, and realize that if it is a dream, I don't want to wake up from it, ever."

"Me either, I like this dream," Janet answered, glancing over at Merdwin where he stood, talking amiably to Jacob and Jocasta.

"Samantha," Martouf stepped up behind her, "Valynara has arrived. They have brought ten of the volunteers with them. The others will, she feels sure, begin to arrive shortly, not waiting for the summons as they should."

Sam nodded, "That's to be expected, I suppose. I hope that they aren't all disappointed if we don't find anything." Sighing, she added, "I hope that we aren't either. Anything could have happened, you know. They could have been discovered, a predator could have evolved, or the planet's surface and climate might have changed."

Martouf reached out and laid a calming hand around her waist. "Come, there is no reason to go over these many and sundry disasters that _might_, I repeat, _might_ have occurred. Now come."

"Yes, come on, Sam. I'm so excited that I can hardly stand still."

Sam grabbed their hands and started toward the group at the front in the huddle, discussing something.

Jack O'Neill was shaking his head. "I see no point in all of us going through until we are sure that there is no threat there. We'll take a team through to secure the gate and do a quick recon. Then radio the condition of the world."

"If it's okay, then that second wave comes through. That would be Marty, Malek, Jocasta, Janet, etc. Then, we head out looking for this Temple and the water. If we find them, and they come to us, then we radio back, and the first five or ten hosts come through. Then, we wait to see what happens once they recover and become adjusted to their new, er, living partner."

"Their new Lifemate, Jack. We call them Lifemates." Daniel threw out the information, as he made sure that he had everything that he might need and checked his side arm, to be sure that it was where it should be.

"Kataya, Sam, Gwennetha, and I will go through first, Jack. We will erect a shield in front of the gate for safety's sake." Merdwin said from where he lounged against the wall nearby.

Jack nodded his agreement. One usually didn't argue with Merdwin, unless it was a very important point. First, because his percentage of being right was something like 100 percent and that one didn't bet against, and second, it was similar to running into a brick wall repeatedly without a helmet and when it ended, you had a headache, were exhausted, and most likely, still doing it his way.

"In that case, I will go through when Samantha goes through."

Another voice that had no wiggle room added itself to his, "Yes, and I shall go through with Gwennetha."

"Fine." Jack snapped. Again, he didn't bother to argue. He should have known that Martouf and Malek would never leave their women's sides and had almost expected the announcement.

"Daniel, Brialek, and Jacob, you're with me."

"Stevenson, Fraiser, and Teal'c, you'll stay with Valynara and be the escort to the lake, or whatever the body of water is, if we find what we are looking for. I'll contact you to bring them through. Any questions, anyone?" He nodded when no one had any.

Jack then looked around at the unnaturally calm faces of the ten possible hosts. "If you have any questions about the Stargate, or what's going to happen when you go through, this would be the time to talk to these people about it. They've all been through it bunches of times, and they can tell you what to expect, and how it will feel. Piece of cake."

He readied his weapon as he stepped toward the Stargate. Nodding at Merdwin, he watched as Artereos come forward and waved his hand causing the Stargate to spring to life. How did they _Do_ that?

The first of the team stepped through. Once on the other side, a large area of shield was set up, but the landscape was totally devoid of any thing that appeared threatening. Kat shrugged at Merdwin. "We should not be overly confident, but I think that it will be safe for the rest. I will contact them to come through."

Kat and Sam stepped forward, slowly walking, beginning to examine the area closely. Sam and Martouf began to slowly circle outward, while Kataya stayed in an almost completely straight line. Gwennetha and Malek had taken another section and Merdwin was approaching Kataya.

As he reached her, she suddenly stopped and raised her arm to halt all forward movement. At the same time, Jack and the remainder of the team came through the Chaappa'ai. It shut down behind them. Once they found what they were looking for, they would reestablish contact with the Temple.

Kataya lowered her arm, turned back, and walked toward the group that had come through, obviously not on any kind of alert. Whatever she had heard, seen, or felt had passed. "Daniel, you have the words? Lantash, you feel that you can sing and repeat these words, poems, and songs?"

"Yes, of course, but first, we must find the water on this planet. It does not seem particularly hospitable, just as we were told," Martouf stated as he moved closer with Samantha by his side.

"True." Sam turned and headed back toward where Kataya had stopped. "I believe that we should go this way." Martouf fell into step beside her, wondering if she knew where she was going, or if she was simply taking the most obvious course. There were no paths of any kind that could be seen, so obviously, whatever indigenous wild life lived here was either not abundant, or did not use the same trails as they moved.

Kataya and Daniel moved to walk behind them. "_You sense it as well, Samantha?" _ Kat asked Sam through their link.

_"Yes, but what is it?"_

_"I believe that it is the presence of symbiotes and naquadah in the water. The others should feel it soon. When did you start to notice it?"_

_"Not until you stopped us, so that we would all remain silent. I still wasn't sure what it was until you named it. Then, once I thought about it, I realized that it was much the same as I feel when other symbiotes are around. Not just one or two, but several, and I can't distinguish one from the other. When did you feel it?"_

Kat glanced at her and then to the landscape ahead of them. They were almost there. That next rise would reveal it all to them, she felt sure. _"I felt it as soon as I stepped though the Chaappa'ai. They are here. Many, many, Samantha. I stopped everyone when I did because I was not sure how close the Tok'Ra could get before they, too, would feel them. I wished for them all to be here when they felt it. Now that they are here, I felt we could proceed. They should sense it soon." _

Sam nodded, but was startled from her link, when an exclamation from Lantash brought them up sharply. "They are here. I can feel them. Stars of Fire, Samantha, there are so many of them that you can feel them before you approach the water." He turned back to the others and motioned to Selmak, Brialek, Malek, and Daur'rin to join them.

As they stood waiting, Kataya wandered a few feet into the forest. It was thick and she could not see through it. It had been the same way at the clearing where the Chaappa'ai stood. There was no point in trying to go through it, as there did not appear to be any definitive paths. They would have to follow around the edge of the hills. Going over them would be heading in the wrong direction she was quite sure.

As Kat returned to where the others stood discussing which way to go, Sam asked her, "Did you see anything in there, Kat? Were there any trails to indicate which direction the water is from here?" Sam stood absorbing the sense of the water and symbiotes while she questioned Kataya. After a pause she commented, "I don't think that we should go over the hills. It isn't the straightest line from the Stargate."

"I agree, Sam, I do not believe that it is either. Let us join the others and look back toward the Chaappa'ai."

"Let's go." Sam nodded, as they turned to walk back toward where the Tok'Ra were standing in a group obviously discussing which way to go next.

As they walked up to them, Daniel and Lantash turned to them. "We believe that we are going the wrong way, _Amat Wyn_, and should, in fact, not traverse the tops of these hills, but travel around the bottom edge of them, rather than make our way through the forest. The line from the Chaappa'ai has turned since we left it."

Sam smiled at him and kissed him firmly, before nodding, "Yeah, I think that you're right. We'll do that. I'm glad you caught that, _Amat, _we could have gone well out of our way, if you hadn't done so. I doubt if the forest is very wide, but it is thick. Kat took a look at it, and there are no trails or animal paths at all."

"We should keep to the edge of the forest. That way if the hills and the forest part company, we'll know and correct for it," Jack stated bluntly. "I don't want anyone wandering off and getting lost or anything. This place may seem like there aren't any threats, but we haven't been here long, and we don't know if there's any animal life, insect life, or even snakes, scorpions, or spiders that could be dangerous. Daniel, _don't touch anything_, until Carter or I can check it out."

The normal caution, coming so naturally out of Jack's mouth, caused the SG-1 teammates to laugh and smile at one another. When the questioning looks were intercepted, they began relating the many times that Jack specifically warned Daniel not to touch anything, only to do so himself, usually to the detriment of one, or all, of them.

They talked quietly as they walked forward, their senses attuned to any outside intrusion, but not on high alert. They came upon the edge of the forest abruptly. There was no thinning to indicate the edge was near, no increasing of low growing shrubs, nothing, in fact, to alert them to what they would come upon.

Martouf, walking a short way in front with Sam, Jacob, and Malek, came to a halt, standing so still that you could not tell if he was breathing. His body was as rigid as stone, perhaps the same dazzling stone used to build the Temple standing amid the red-blood flowers. Sam took his hand, whispering, "It answers the description in the song. The red-blood flowers surround it. The white sand beaches are in front and lead off in both directions. If I'm not wrong, there are what looks to be golden statues in the Temple. I say that we go take a closer look. We won't know for sure until we get down there and do some hands-on examining and inspecting."

"You are correct, of course, my Samantha; it is simply a little overwhelming. We must go at once to the water's edge as well. If your team will take the Temple and explore it, we will attempt to determine if there are indeed symbiotes in the waters."

Sam nodded and turned to Jack, who headed at once toward the beautiful Temple. "Come on, guys. Let's get going before the wicked witch puts us to sleep with this field of poppies or something." Sam shook her head. Would her CO ever out-grow his addiction to quoting and references to that movie? He must have adored it as a child, but then, so had she.

Walking across the field, she watched the group of Tok'Ra as they made their way toward the water. What would they find there? They would find something. She knew that they would. She, Kataya, and all of the Tok'Ra couldn't be that wrong.

Of course, she supposed that there could be enough naquadah in the water to set all their senses humming. However, she didn't believe that. They would know soon now. With a last look, she entered the Temple with the remainder of their team.

Merdwin and Gwennetha had elected to come with them, so there were six of them, including Daniel and Sam. Well, it wouldn't take more than that to secure this building.

As Temples go, it wasn't overly large. Nevertheless, something about it was odd. It wasn't long before an exclamation from Daniel led Jack to rush quickly to his side, before he touched something that he wasn't supposed to.

When he reached his side, it was to see Daniel standing with hands in pockets and reading some sort of text that looked like nothing so much as chicken scratches. "What's it saying, Daniel? Anything we should know?"

"Maybe. I'm glad that I brought my camera. Not that we can't come back if we need to, but I want to be sure that I get it all, in case we aren't here long enough for me to finish the translations. And, of course, I'll want them for recording purposes," he finished speaking as he took out his camera and proceeded to take pictures of every bit of writing on the walls, identifying each section in some code that only Daniel would understand.

Sam walked over to them and waited for him to finish before touching his arm. "I think that there are some things over here that don't fit in with the Temple, but do fit with the song. Merdwin agrees. I'd like for you to take a look, Daniel."

Daniel smiled at her, and then leaning in and kissing her temple in a perfectly natural gesture, he put his arm around her to escort her back. Jack followed. The wall that they were looking at was set aside from the main temple and was secluded. It was obvious that someone added it later. There were golden statues scattered throughout the Temple, but the unusual part was that this section was to one side, off the center of the room, yet not against the wall.

Golden statues stood around it in various poses of intimacy, copulation, and ecstasy. All of the either held small dragons, quite obviously symbiotes, wrapped around them intimately, or clasped closely in their arms as they bent over them, mouths open. A shallow and somewhat narrow trough was built into the room. It ran parallel with and up against what appeared to be either an altar, which it did not really resemble, or a stone couch upon which one could lounge or recline. One could lie with one's face over the water yet still be supported by the platform.

Searching quickly, Daniel found what he was looking for. "Well, this is proof positive. This is the Temple of Coreegadon and this particular room is the Sanctuary Chamber of Lifemate Blending, where the two, host and symbiote, are to be bound for life."

"According to these, well, instructions, for lack of anything better to call them; the prospective host approaches the water's edge and sits down either in or very near the edge. The symbiotes will swim to the edge of the water."

"At that time, the host should put their hands in the water and the symbiotes "_will swim by them, allowing their instinct to guide them_". The prospective host should do the same, um, that is, they should "_allow their instinct to guide them_," not swim by them. A feeling of uneasiness with a symbiote that touches them indicates incompatibility, the host should pull away, and that symbiote will withdraw and continue on. If two symbiotes remain, they will allow the host to pick them up and hold them. If there is still no definite decision by the host or the symbiotes, then the symbiotes come to a decision, and one will relinquish claim. According to this, that rarely happens."

"Assuming that there is only one symbiote, he approaches the host and wraps around their wrist, only to immediately unwind and stretch out. This is a promise to the host to never shackle his body."

"Then the symbiote will swim under the host's hand and lift it from the water, indicating that he will always support and care for his host."

"Then he takes the host's hand in his mouth and presses down, but doesn't bite, indicating that he will not harm him."

"And lastly, the symbiote will swim onto the palm of the host's hand and curl up there indicating that he is willing to trust him and become one being with him, accepting all that it entails."

"According to this, once the symbiote and host have made their lifemate choices, then whoever is overseeing the, ah, birthing, their word for what the blending is, will open the waterways so that the symbiote can enter the chamber and blend with their, in this case, first host.

"Promises are to be made to one another. The symbiote will show his continued agreement by allowing help as he removes his outer body covering, so that only the soft new skin and much smaller body is all that's left for blending."

"Once that is done, he will approach his life mate. To show that they are both content and determined to blend and give birth to a new being, two into one, the symbiote swims into and rests in the host's hand once again."

"The host strokes the symbiote, and then releases it, lies down on the stone couch, shuts his eyes, and opens his mouth, at which point the ceremony and vows are complete. The symbiote '_takes_' its new mate as gently as possible, dispersing any pain as it goes. After they introduce themselves, and the host feels ready to stand, the _birth_ is declared a success, and they are free to begin their new life together."

"So the words of the song mean more than just pretty words. The prospective hosts must come here to blend. Not a major matter, and in the long run, it will make the bonding more intimate for the two of them." Merdwin said softly, before turning to Kataya as she entered the Temple.

"You and Siesha went through a ritual before blending, did you not?"

"Yes." She stopped to read and absorb the writing. "She did shed her outer skin, leaving it within her dying host, and we did agree verbally with certain words. As I stated, her host was dying. We had to blend quickly. Later, we went through a ceremony on her homeworld, except for the actual blending. It is a time that I will cherish always in my heart. This ceremony will be a good way to blend them to their new partners, I agree. I also like the idea of calling it a birthing. In one way, it is indeed the birth of a new being, after all."

"I wonder what is going on out there. They have been gone a long time. Maybe we should go see." Gwennetha said.

"I am sure that you are right." Kataya agreed. "When I left, they were still undecided on how to sing the songs, and say the poem. I am sure that they will decide by tonight. Hopefully, before the purple night fades to daylight."

The group left the Temple and headed for the Tok'Ra standing by the shore of the lake and looking over the words of the songs and poems. It was obvious that they had yet to settle the details of how they were going to proceed. Daniel stepped up and into the middle of them.

"Okay, guys, here's the deal. The Temple has a blending Chamber. Therefore, the new hosts will need to come here to join with their Lifemate. There is a whole getting to know you thing at the water's edge, and then there are things to do at the Temple. This isn't going to be a really swift process, if we do it according to the instructions Egeria left behind. At least, it probably won't be until we get the hang of it. I think that once it gets started it will probably smooth out and actually go fairly quickly. I also believe that this first blending may be a whole lot smoother for everyone involved, if we follow the rites described, and we all feel that we should at least attempt it."

"Anyway, it seems that there are certain things the symbiote does to show the host what it is promising, and there are things that the host does to show that he agrees to blend with the symbiote. Then there are things that whoever is overseeing the birthing does in the Blending Chamber. I suggest that you go in and take a good look at it, and then come back and make a quick decision. We have all day to organize getting a bunch of people here, but it could take all day before one of the symbiotes hears us."

"One of you, whoever the one that's gonna try calling them, better get started on that. First thing that we need to know, is if there are still any sn, er, of them here. Because if there are, and if I understand Daniel right, the people back at the other Temple are gonna have to start tryin' to round up a lot of people." After giving his opinion, Jack hefted his P-90, adjusted his shades, and pulled his cap down before heading for the nearest shade tree. Duty done, he would keep watch, or nap, whichever came first.

Selmak turned back, before going to the Temple. "Lantash, the debate is over. You will be the one to sing the song. First, the song that told us where to look for them. After that, you will sing the first song that we remembered. Sing it several times, and then pause for a very short time. Then sing the other one several times. Preface both of them with the address: Children of Egeria, your brethren call to you. The Great Battle is won and we have come. You have Egeria's promise, and now you have ours."

Lantash nodded. "I believe that you are correct. That might be the best way to approach the situation. Selmak, I believe that if Daniel has returned to the Temple, you should request that he look for some information pertaining to the calling of the symbiotes."

He threw his arm in the direction of the horizon. "There is no way to tell how large this body of water is, but it could be days or weeks before one of our brethren is within range of hearing us. I cannot believe that Egeria would have gone to this much effort, and then not left another way to at least summon her children to come close enough to hear if a true summons was being made."

Selmak looked thoughtful. "Yes, I see your point. I will inquire it of Daniel. Perhaps Merdwin, Kataya, and Gwennetha might have some ability to sense something, too. We will explore other avenues as well, Lantash."

Lantash nodded and turned back to the water to begin his part of this quest. It was time to start work. He sensed Samantha walk up behind him and slide her arms around him. "I think that it will work well, Lantash. There is bound to be a little confusion at first, but once we've done a few, it will start to go much better." She hugged him gently, and then caressed his shoulders, and he felt himself relax as he began to sing.

"Daniel, Lantash suggested that there might be some sort of device that would summon the symbiotes, if not up to the shore, then in close enough to see if the remainder of the summoning would be heard. He asked if you would mind seeing if you could find anything like that first."

Daniel looked up at Selmak from his position, where he was kneeling on the floor in front of a panel. He grinned up at him. "I was just coming to find you guys. I think that I may have found something to do with that, but I'm not sure yet. Give me a little time to look it over. I'm just now beginning the translation work. I had the same thought, y'know, after looking at the size of that lake out there. There's no way they can hear you just by singing."

"Selmak, I don't know how big a body of water is out there, but, if Egeria managed to come here more than once, there could be a lot of symbiotes in there."

"We can only hope, Daniel. Certainly the size is…" Selmak shook his head, and turned away, leaving to head back toward Merdwin where he stood, talking to Kataya, Malek, and Gwennetha. When Daniel had his head buried inside ancient text trying to decipher it, there was no point in trying to hold a conversation. He wouldn't hear a word that was said to him unless one forced his attention."

Halfway across the room, he heard the exclamation from behind him. It was a shout of triumph. He swung back towards Daniel in time to see him race to the door and yell for Sam, motioning her to come to the Temple.

Evidently, Daniel found something. From the sound of it, it must be something important.

TBC


	18. First Contact 18 DOTQ

**_Chapter Eighteen Summary: _**_They have discovered how to contact the symbiotes. Now all they have to do is implement their plan and wait to see what happens. Once they make first contact, they will begin the blendings. The hosts are anxious to begin, as well._

**_Amat_**_ – Love_

**_Amat Wyn_**_ – My Love_

**_Adorata _**_– Adored _

**_Adorata Wyn_**_ – My Adored One_

**_Adorata Coeurawyn_**_ – Adored of My Heart_

**_Igisadonis_**_ - Beloved_

**_Carusawyn_**_ – My Dearest One_

**_Et Aevum_**_ – Into/For Eternity _

**_Coeurawyn_**_ – My Heart_

**_"Italics"_**_ – Symbiote-Host or Telepathic Communication  
_

* * *

_**Daughters of the Queen**_

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_**First Contact**_

* * *

As she reached Daniel, they could easily overhear and understand his words, even as quickly as he spoke them. "Sam, there's an underwater, well, resonance system, for lack of a better word. If I translated the panel correctly, and I'm pretty darn sure that I did, then once we find the device, we can manipulate it to release a series of tones into the water at different frequencies. The thing is, there is more than one of them. They're set up in different places around this continent. We'll have to go get Teal'c and Stevenson, maybe another SG team or some Furling Warriors. We'll have to comb this entire continent, and we have no idea how big it is. I'm hoping that as I get farther into the translation that it'll give us some specific directions."

"It seems that these devices have to be set off in sequence, and in the exact same pattern, which, luckily, is supposed to be written on the device in this Temple. Speaking of that, Selmak, tell Lantash not to bother singing just yet; if I'm reading this correctly, they won't come until they hear the tones from this."

He sat back on his heels and looked around at the group staring at him and Sam as they now crouched on the floor in front of the panel with the writing. "I think that I can plan on translating every thing in the Temple eventually. We can't afford to miss anything. I have a hunch that this Temple was the first one that she intended us to find. The songs and poems for here were quite deeply ingrained for you to remember, the others are going to be harder to get to and dig up. She meant for us to come here first. I'd bet on it."

"Still, all of that aside, there is invaluable information here, and if we go slowly, carefully, and learn as we go instead of rushing I think it will tell us a lot." He saw Jack enter the Temple and sighed with relief. He could always count on Jack to put things into perspective, even if the perspective that he put it in was sometimes a little on the fractured side.

"Jack. We've made quite a few discoveries, but it means that this mission is going to extend for several days, and we need backup, well, searchers. It seems that we need to search for devices that are hidden all over the continent that have to be turned on to alert Egeria's children that the Great Battle is over, and that their siblings have arrived to take them to their Heart-home."

Jack rubbed his neck. "I don't know, Daniel. The general might not want to send another team here. That's that many more people that find out what we're doing."

"You're right. I hadn't thought of that. Damn."

"If I might make a suggestion, Colonel?" Merdwin's voice, as smoky-smooth as brandy and as rich as liquid gold, slid across them, as always, when he forgot to take care, causing little pricks of excitement in the women and flashes of envy in the men. His eyes locked with Kat's, and hers filled with sardonic amusement.

Mentally chiding himself for his lapse, nevertheless, he reined in his voice and continued, "I believe that the best solution would be to request backup in the form of the Furling Warriors that are at the SGC. There would be little speculation, if we suddenly recalled them to Cadwaellon, and what there was, would not even be close to the truth. Lanwin, Taesha, Colwyn, and Stephynara are still helping to train the teams to work together, so they should be available at once. There is little, or no, reason that they cannot come, and I believe that would suffice. Nor is there any reason that Janet and I cannot remain and do what we can to help. I will contact George and explain the situation."

"Furthermore, I would suggest that, since there is very little true threat besides broken bones from climbing or tripping, that the first, say, twenty or so, volunteer hosts come through as well. We can pair them with a soldier, a Warrior, or a Tok'Ra. That way our own people are not on their own in case of accident, and neither are the new hosts with only another non-military person. It is still quite early in the day and much can yet be accomplished, if we make haste."

Jack nodded. "So, are we headed back to the Temple on Valdellon then?"

Kataya nodded her head. "Yes, and I believe that Daniel and I will stay here. If someone would be so kind as to gather what we will need for several days, we will set up a camp. We brought enough supplies for one night, assuming that this project could well take longer than anticipated. It appears that we may have been overly optimistic of a timely ending."

Sam nodded, "I think most of us have enough for one night. If a few of us went back and packed up enough supplies for several days - food, water, just whatever we might need, we'd be fine here in the Temple for an extended stay, if need be."

"I agree. Jack?" Merdwin raised an eyebrow in inquiry to see if he, too, agreed that would work out well.

"Sure Mer, why not? How about those of us that feel like trekking back get lists from those staying and working on the translations for a while, and then whoever feels like spending the night here can bring their stuff back."

"I need to make contact with General Hammond. I wish to bring my Janet back with me to experience the purple of the night in the Temple of Coreegadon, so I will bring as much of your equipment and ours back with me when I return," Merdwin nodded toward the three couples that would definitely be staying. He knew that Janet would never agree to miss a chance to stay overnight off world on an alien planet with her friends. It was a rare occurrence for her, and she would enjoy it immensely. It was convenient that she actually had a few days off, and Cassie was on a short vacation with a friend's family. It made the entire endeavor much simpler than it could have been had she been scheduled to work and Cassie not already on her way to—ah, yes, to Yellowstone.

He was startled to see Kataya get up, walk to a far door, gaze out toward the forest, and then to the east, before shaking her head.

He moved to her as the others began to decide who else wanted to return. "Kataya, is something bothering you?"

"Merdwin. I am not sure, and yet, I am. You will return tonight?"

"Yes. Of course. Well, as soon as I can gather this rather gigantic list of supplies."

She nodded her agreement. Glancing over her shoulder to be sure that they were unobserved, she turned back to him. "Come, I will walk out with you before you leave. Please be sure to bring both my Excalya and Yolan. Be sure that you and the others have your best weapons from this time on, and be sure that our food supply is ample, as well as our water, whenever we are off world. Please plan to join as many of our missions as you can, if you would, _Amat Wyn_. I will expect you back tonight."

"What do you sense, Kataya? I have seldom known you to be wrong in these things. Is there a threat that comes here only at night?"

She shook her head. "To be completely honest, I do not believe that the threat is here at all, and I do not believe that we will need our weapons here, either. However, I want it to become second nature for each of us who are warriors, to become Warriors, first and foremost, once again, searchers and explorers second. I, at least, have let that slide, to become a mate and lover. And while I will continue to be so, my other abilities must come to the forefront again."

"As for this world and the time that we will spend here, no; no, Merdwin, it is not of this world, yet I am not at ease. Something broods on the horizon in the mirror recently, but it is not clear. That it appears attached to the search for the little Queens in some convoluted way appears to be the one truth that I can discern. By that, I mean that it is not directly involved with the Queens; it is only that something touches both the search for them, and whatever it is that is building there."

She frowned for a moment, before saying, "Our quest is still unknown, but there is danger looming, as well as a chance that it could be discovered, if we are not very, very diligent in keeping our information within our group and a few select others. Tell my father…tell my father that I sense a great threat arising…neither soon nor far into the future. He needs to know, if she has not already seen it. If she has seen it, then she will have told him, although, it is possible that my mother is not looking, for they are still reveling in being together again."

She paused once more and her frown increased as she murmured, as if to herself, "I am very surprised the mirror has not called out to her. I am almost positive that it would be speaking to me by now, and I know that her attunement to it exceeds mine."

She turned her head and closed her eyes as if trying to focus on something, but shook her head in the end. "I can tell you little more at this time. It will not come into focus. "I _feel_ there is blood, much blood and death; battle, fierce and brutal, and, I _believe_, treachery, within the heart of the Tok'Ra. There will be chaos before the light breaks through and shines for them again. It may be very dark at times, Merdwin, but that is yet to be seen as we can do much to mitigate it, else I would not be shown the images, as you know. However, Merdwin, the _images_ are coming to me only in_ flashes_. The mirror shows only the building and brooding of the coming darkness on the horizon. That I am seeing images so far in advance of the mirror showing any images at all disturbs me greatly."

Merdwin nodded, respecting her abilities. "Yes. I can see that it would. As for now, even though there is no threat at the moment, I will return as soon as possible. Nevertheless, Kataya, we will talk of this privately with Artereos, as well as your mother. Gwynnivar's power is greater even than yours; as a Seeress she has no peer. What you are saying could possibly concern the highest echelons of the Tok'Ra ranks."

"Perhaps, and perhaps not. Sometimes trust is misplaced by the most intelligent of us." She looked at him, until he sighed, agreeing silently.

Someone high in the ranks of the Tok'Ra could be doing too much pillow talk. Once they learned of the Queens, it would end up being a race to see who would reach them first. It would not be the Goa'uld. He would stay on the quest himself until it was resolved. Artereos had several good men with him, not the least of which was Samantha's father, Llancellon. They could well take over for him until this was resolved. Artereos and he agreed on that. This was too important to allow the Tok'Ra to fail to find the Queens.

They must keep them secret as long as possible. Somehow, Artereos would have to come up with a plan to bring a few more Tok'Ra here to start training the new host/symbiotes in battle tactics and combat. Or the Furlings could train them with Brialek and Daur'rin. He would find out if there were any more that Selmak would trust with his life. As well as the ones that he would not close his eyes to sleep, if he was alone with them.

Kat's gentle shake brought him out of his reverie. "Enough. There is no point in dwelling on it now; there will be time for that later. Go, so that you will return the soonest, but do not rush. There is no great threat to us here."

Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. "All right, _Adorata_. Kat, we will safeguard them this time, I promise you. We will spread our protection over both the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri who are so dear to you. You have lived with enough pain. I will not see you have to deal with more, you or Samantha. We will prevail. They are strong, these Tok'Ra and Tau'ri, and we have proven once to be a formidable force. We will do so again. Remember from which lineages you, Samantha, and Daniel spring." Turning, he strode toward the Chaappa'ai without waiting for her response.

Kat did occasionally have feelings that did not turn into anything, and he could always hope this would be one of those times, but they were rarely this deep and ominous. He, himself, was seeing darkness building in the distance. Evidently, Kataya was already seeing it closer than he was. That was not an unusual occurrence, but it was one that was often unsettling. For now, they would have to wait until their sight cleared enough to see more clearly just what enemy they faced.

His lips tightened. He had work to do. He opened a link to Artereos. He might as well get things started before he even got back to the Temple. Artereos could have things well underway before he got back.

* * *

"Malek, I wish to stay. Do you wish to go back and retrieve things for us?"

"I see no need, my Gwennetha. Colonel O'Neill, Selmak, and Brialek are going. Merdwin has already returned; however, he took a formidable list with him. The Colonel's group can bring our things back with them. You need to make out a list of things that you need. I have given them mine."

"I will. So we are all staying, then?" She asked, obviously delighted with the idea of staying here with her family and friends. He realized that she probably had very little time to simple be with her mother. They were both Warriors, usually posted to different areas of the Universe. No wonder she sounded happy about staying here with her and Samantha.

He smiled at her, saying, "Yes, they will all return along with Janet, and possibly, Lanwin and Taesha. I do not know about Colwyn and Stephynara; although, I believe they were going to attempt to bring them here. I believe that none of the four of them will be remaining, after we have found and turned on the resonators. They will return to the SGC as soon as they can. They also plan to bring several hosts with them as well."

As Sam and Kataya joined them, and heard Malek's comments, Kataya added, "It is many hours before nightfall, so we should be able to get much work done on translating these walls to see if there is any other information that will help us."

"How are you feeling, Gwennetha?" Sam asked, as she bent to look behind a panel that Daniel had managed to figure out how to remove. "I haven't seen you to ask, since you returned from Avilion. Yesterday evening, ah, doesn't really count, as we were all sort of preoccupied with other, um, things."

Gwennetha laughed at Sam's avoidance of stating exactly _why_ they did not have time to talk to one another. "I feel fine now. I am not even feeling nauseated much anymore."

Sam looked up and smiled. "I know what you mean. Mine seems to have calmed down to a couple of times a day and if I sip the tea, it passes quickly. I'm glad that we remembered to bring it."

"Samantha, there is no way that Lantash and I could leave the house without it. It was only by having them brew up enough for Malek and I both, for several days, that we felt safe enough to come." Martouf looked disgruntled for a moment before continuing, "I do not understand why it is not bothering you as much as it is us." His voice was bordering on petulance, as it did every time he dwelled upon the unfairness of the situation.

"I've told you, Martouf, that I believe it is because my body is already used to having some of the hormones and chemicals in it. Therefore, only the fluctuations affect Gwennetha and me, whereas you, Lantash, Malek, and Dev aren't used to having such high concentrations of them. I am not even sure if you even have all of them in your body. If you don't, then those affect you simply by being in your system, and the others affect you because you are not used to having those amounts of them with which to contend. The longer they are there, the sooner your body will adjust. You are both much better already. I can see a big difference in just the last few days."

He sighed deeply, and Malek grunted, saying, "That may well be, but it is still very uncomfortable most of the time. I cannot go for more than fifteen minutes without a sip of the tea without becoming nauseated and ill."

Sam smiled. "A few days ago, it was only ten. So, you _are_ getting better. It's slow, but it's better. Soon, it will be thirty minutes, then it will stretch to sixty, and before you know it, you will hardly be drinking it at all. You'll see."

He tilted his head, and then finally smiled at her. "I believe that you are correct, Samantha, and even if you are not, it does not matter. When the babes are here, it will be worth it. I have discovered that I am as anxious as Devlin for them to be born."

"I am anxious, as well, Malek. Lantash says that we will be nervous and terrified when the time comes. I am afraid that he is correct, so I try not to think about it."

"I have often had those thoughts myself, Martouf. Dev assures me that it will be over before we know it. He does not remember when his wife had their children, though, because they did not tell him until afterwards. I believe that it will be different this time for him."

"From what Lantash has imparted to me, I can assure you that it will most assuredly be very different. He tells me that the labor can begin with what they call…"

"Sam, can you come here? I want you to see this."

Sam gratefully rose to leave behind the men discussing the different aspects of childbirth, and walked quickly to him, saying, "Oh, wow, Daniel. That looks like a control panel of some sort. I hope that there are instructions."

Daniel nodded. "There are. I think that this might contain them. He drew out a stone tablet with the usual stone page-changing object. "It gives me the willies every time I come across one of these things. All I can think of is that damned white room that I was incarcerated in."

Sam's eyes immediately filled with tears, "Oh, Daniel."

"Hey! None of that. It was a long time ago, and a lot of really nasty other stuff has since taken place, so let's just forget it, okay? Don't cry, _Adorata Coeurawyn_."

Sam smiled and touched his arm. "Okay. I just feel so guilty every time I think of that, Daniel. We were at fault. We should have suspected an alien entity, not that it was your mind. We knew you. We loved you. I'll never forget, and I'll never forgive myself for not thinking outside of the box and instead just accepting that idiot McKenzie's ideas without questioning them."

Daniel's heart melted, and then overflowed with all the love that he felt for this woman. She was his Heartmate. The mate of his heart, now and forever, he would hold her within his, and her tears scalded him. "Stop it, Sam. We had no reason to suspect outside influence. I went nuts with that thing in there. They locked me away for my own protection as much as anything else was. Furthermore, I don't blame any of you, except maybe McKenzie, who was a little too eager to drug me instead of trying to let me think my way through it. Okay?"

Sam sniffed and nodded. Hormones were a pain in the butt. She had no idea how Lantash and Martouf were handling this kind of reaction to things. She hadn't seen them cry, but if things affected them in the same way they did her, well, maybe that's why they would suddenly walk off sometimes. She hadn't thought of that. How sweet and how terrible that must be for them. She would have to talk to them later. However, for now it was Daniel and the page-turner. "Okay. So, how about you go and see if Kat has any way that she can determine if there are any critters in that thing? Find out if it's safe before you go waving it around."

"That's a good idea, Sam; I think I'll do that now," Daniel agreed readily to her suggestion. It made sense to him.

Daniel got up and walked over to Kat where she sat to one side, in one of the open window seats, staring across the horizon. "Hey, sweetheart, are you all right? You seem a little strung out."

"I am fine, beloved, just admiring the view and wondering how many symbiotes Egeria left here. The lake appears to be immense." She gave him a soft, sultry look before leaning forward to give him a kiss, "The others should return soon now." The purring of her voice distracted him until her deep chuckle brought him back.

He grinned at her. "You don't play fair, _Igisadonis_, and if they return soon, then they'll be just in time. I think that I've found one of the control panels and the instructions. However, it has one of those stone page-turner thingies. Can you check to see if anyone has tampered with it? Ma'chello, remember me telling you about him and his Goa'uld killing devices? Well, he had this one that had these little bug-like things that got into you and killed the Goa'uld, unless you didn't have one. Then they made you go crazy. _I_ got to do _that_."

"Yes, love, I remember you telling me about them, so let us go see. I do not know if I can determine anything by touching or sensing, but I will try for you. On the other hand, did you not tell me that once you had the Goa'uld marker it left your body? Therefore, even if one made its way in, it would not stay. It would simply retreat and die."

Daniel stopped and stared at her. "You're right. I had forgotten that. I guess I don't need you to do anything after all."

"I will come, Daniel, for there are others here who might not have the marker, and if there are several, they could escape and enter them, at which point, we would have some ill people to rush to the gate."

"True." Having reached the device, he leaned over and picked it up from the floor. Kataya took it out of his hand, surveyed it critically, attempted to sense anything in it, and then handed it back to him. "I feel nothing. If there is anything in there, I do not know what it is."

Daniel shrugged, "In that case, I'm going to use it on this, and see if we can get this thing figured out. If we are very lucky, there are explicit directions to each of the resonators and the exact tone that will bring them in close enough to hear the songs and invitations."

Sam answered from where he stood beside the open panel, "I hope that you're right, Daniel. We're all on pins and needles here."

Daniel said nothing in reply. He was already writing in his notebook. Kataya smiled at Sam and shrugged before wandering away, knowing that he no longer had need of her abilities. Sam stepped over to him and watched from his side. As soon as he began writing down numbers, she grabbed her own equipment. They sure looked like some sort of coordinates to her.

After finishing the first page, Daniel stopped and looked at Sam. "I think that this one contains the directions to the farthest of the resonators. It's on the farthest point of the continent, if you can call it a continent. Hardly more than a large island, actually. Well, a really, really big island." He frowned at the figures. "It looks like it would be about a third of the size of Australia."

"See what you can make out of this, Sam. I've included the numbers with the instructions for finding the exact spots that the devices will be."

He handed her the notebook and started on the second page of the tablet. They were simple, once he figured out the first one.

Later, as the others began to return, he looked up. Sam had drawn maps, using the Temple as the starting point. Each device was set in a straight line from the Temple and the distances from one to the next was very close to being the same. She suspected that the slight variations came from the terrain and the need to place the resonators in fairly safe places and yet near to the water's edge. They should be easy to find, and it was fairly early in the day. She set up an area and she, Jack, Kat, the Tok'Ra, and Merdwin were going over the information that he had uncovered.

They still had a chance to get a few blendings done, if it continued to be this simple to figure out. They had eight of the outlying devices pinpointed. They needed three more. Exactly how many he had left in this tablet. Then there was the next tablet. He had no idea what it was about, but he hoped that it wasn't cautions on things about what was in this one. Sighing, he bent to his translations.

* * *

The teams set out as soon as Daniel finished and Sam charted the co-ordinates. They were transported by the Furlings. While the continent wasn't exactly large by many standards, it was wide enough across it that it would take weeks of hiking to reach the far side. This was a concern when it came to the symbiotes as well. It meant that teams would have to remain behind for several months. Just to be sure that some symbiotes did not turn up long afterwards. A message would also be left for them, once they finally left for good. Even then, someone would check weekly. They would leave no symbiote without a host and alone on this piece of rock and water.

Once transported, the teams searched and found their devices almost immediately. None of the devices had been disturbed in the nearly two thousand years that they had been here. It was, indeed, an untouched world. Egeria had chosen well as far as her sites for the devices. She had placed them near the water, of course, but not near any large rock outcroppings or trees that might fall on them. Shields protected them, and they responded to the codes at once and dropped, giving those attempting to access them complete ease of use.

"What do we have out there, people? Everyone check in, starting with team one and give your condition and readiness." Selmak ordered as they began to coordinate the exercise.

Those still at the Temple waited until all eleven of the outlying resonance device teams had reported in that they had full access to their device and were awaiting orders.

"Stop! Don't start yet!" Daniel called from across the room. "Merdwin, Kat, come read this section again, to be sure that you still translate it the same way that you did before we found all of this other information."

After rereading it they both agreed and Merdwin told him, "It appears to be the same except for this part. We do not initiate the farthest first. It should be the one to the left first, and then around."

"I agree." Kat walked back to Sam with the tablet and handed it to her. Looking at it, Sam was able to make out what they meant. Moaning, she went back to her calculations. Fifteen minutes later, she handed the paper to Selmak.

"The first number is the device that is to be turned on first, counting the Temple as number one, and proceeding around the circle, starting on the left. The tones are all the same. The devices are simply an announcement telling them to come home, because they have company."

"According to what Daniel has translated, as soon as they are all turned on, they should be left on for no more than fifteen minutes. Then, they should be turned off, and whatever invitation songs or poems that you know should be spoken or sung." She smiled at Lantash, "That's where you get to entertain us all, _Carusawyn_. I'm going to let Daniel tell you the rest, because he can read it easier."

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose and stood, saying, "After the devices are shut off and the invitations are sung, the leader of the clutch will approach and make contact with whoever comes forward as the liaison. He has never been so far away from the Temple that he cannot arrive here within a half an hour. If he accepts that the first contact is legitimate, he will call his brethren to come forward for the choosing."

"Then he will await the approach of the first possible host. He will examine all possible hosts, but will only choose the one that is his exact match. If there are none in the hosts that are offered, he is to be placed in a tank and given his choice first of all the hosts that are offered before all others."

"Egeria is very specific and emphatic about this. She states it repeatedly. There must be something about this particular symbiote that's special. I don't know if they can have just one and give those special memories or something, but it almost sounds like that might be what has happened here."

"As for the devices, they simply turn it on and press the indentations in order left to right as they face it. As soon as the first one is finished, they should contact us so that we can give the go-ahead for the next one to turn theirs on. The fifteen minutes is counted only after all twelve are on and working."

Selmak nodded and spoke into his headset. Team-One, you are to turn the device on by placing the blue crystal into the corresponding opening. Then you will press the indentations from left to right, as you face the device. Step back when you have finished until we contact you to turn the device off."

* * *

They had ten more minutes before they turned the resonators off, so Daniel walked along the white sand beaches with Kataya. It was a pretty beach. The water was actually a beautiful blue; it was too bad that the land wasn't capable of supporting life. It was peaceful here. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that he should mark this day and enjoy it to the fullest. This one and any other day of peace and joy that came his way.

The woman he loved more than life itself was by his side, there was a warm sun shining, and a soft, warm breeze was lifting her glorious gold and silver hair up, across, and around him. She stood still, staring into the horizon for a moment, before turning to him and smiling.

The love shining in her eyes stole his breath. Never again would he choose to delay his return to this woman. He felt that, at last, he was no longer the boy to whom the wonders of the universe were more fascinating than anything else was. His universe stood before him, a quizzical look in her eyes. Stepping forward, he grabbed her and swung her high in the air in a wide circle, laughing up at her. "I love you, Kataya. For Eternity."

Her eyes softened, and as her feet once again touched the sand, she leaned into him, "As I love you, my Daniel. _Et Aevum_."

* * *

The fifteen minutes passed and the teams shut the devices off. The teams were transported back, and the prospective hosts sat, talking with the Tok'Ra that were not immediately involved in the proceedings at the moment, absorbing all that they could of the way of life that could someday be theirs.

Eyes shone brightly. There were shy smiles, and bright smiles, nervous smiles, and charming smiles, but all held obvious longing. They grew to adulthood longing for this day, anticipating it, hoping, wishing, and praying for this day. Finally, it had arrived; it was so exciting that they could hardly believe it. They wanted this. It was their life's ambition. To have a symbiote of one's own, in one's family, was an honor of such magnitude it was impossible to explain. To blend with a—a Tok'Ra—a child of Egeria, was the dream of almost everyone on Valdellon. Now that time had arrived and they were all very nervous.

They found the calm acceptance of the Tok'Ra hosts hard to understand. They would understand when they became one with their own symbiote, the Tok'Ra told them. They could barely wait. Sitting quietly was difficult, to say the least. Many paced the area around the temple, or returned inside to look one more time at the place where they would become a different being, a newborn being.

Lantash stood at the edge of the water and, once again, sang the love songs that he knew so well. This time though, his eyes did not search for startling violet orbs, but those that were a bright and sparkling blue. He sang for them now. And, they smiled back at him, telling him that they understood.

Selmak and Daniel stood in the water's edge by Lantash, watching for the symbiote that the inscriptions said would come first. Twenty minutes after they shut off the devices, a large, lone, symbiote swam slowly up to them and stopped.

Merdwin walked up to Selmak. "Do you want to try First Contact, Sel? Or do you want Kataya or I to try to link first?"

Selmak took a deep breath and shook his head. "I want to do it. Damn it, Mer, I cannot believe this, I am shaking like a leaf in a wind storm."

"It is a momentous occasion, Selmak. You are entitled to a few shaky moments. Perhaps Jacob would be calmer. You can take over after he begins the greeting, and you have regained your calm once more," Merdwin suggested.

"Yes, yes, he would, and as you say, I can take over when he has allowed me to become calmer."

As Jacob took control, he knelt in the sand and water, "Well, buddy, I don't know if you can hear me or not. I don't know if you can understand me, even if you can hear me. I'm gonna stick my hand in the water and offer to, ah, shake, er, your fin, I guess. So, try not to bite me, okay? It's not nice to bite your brother."

Jacob pulled his sleeve up and slowly placed his hand in the water, palm up. Leaning out, he let his arm down until he was leaning out and offering his lower arm and palm. The symbiote came forward slowly, obviously suspicious.

Selmak took control from Jacob at the first touch of the symbiote. With his other hand, he reached in and lightly pressed a very sensitive, pleasure-giving spot, stroking it gently.

Then he closed his eyes and allowed his senses to communicate with the other symbiote. It wasn't as easy as it would have been if they were both completely immersed in the water, but enough came through for him to be fairly certain. These were Egeria's children. And there could very well be a couple thousand, perhaps more, in this lake. He pulled away and turned to Kat.

"I think that he will allow you to handle him."

Kat nodded and going forward, she knelt in the water deeply enough that he could swim into her lap and she could wrap her arms around him. Her head snapped back and she gasped, but pulled herself together at once, to concentrate on what he was saying, not on the emotions that he was stirring in her. Nor would she dwell on the fact that _he_ had mind-linked with her. Not a common trait in the Tok'Ra, and unless she was very much mistaken, something that he did not do with Selmak a moment ago, when they communicated.

"_The one on the sand beside you and the Tok'Ra commander. By what name is he called?"_

_"He is called Daniel."_

_"He is my lifemate. It is meant to be. You know this. I can feel it in you."_

_"Daniel may never blend. You cannot wait for him to become your lifemate."_

_"I will wait. If it truly is meant to be, it will happen. If it is not, then I shall remain unblended."_

Kataya sighed deciding, to give up on convincing him for now.

_"How are you called?" _

_"I am Darkyn. Darkyn-Threnn. Daniel is your mate. Do you not wish him to become my lifemate because you find me repulsive?"_

Kataya sighed. _"I am Furling. We strive to find beauty in all creatures that are not evil by nature. You are Tok'Ra, so no, I do not find you repulsive. My Heartmate is Tok'Ra. We are not here to talk of me; we are here to explain the events which led us to discover you."_

_"Yes, of course, however, finding my Lifemate is also a very important part of this day for me. You will tell Daniel that I have chosen him. At least allow him to think about it. Please. Furthermore, you may call me Darkyn. It is the name of familiarity."_

_"Very well, Darkyn. I will tell him of you and your request. Now, do you not wish to know about who we are, and why we have come now?"_

_"Yes, of course, my lady, I wish to know all of the pertinent details. You have already, with our link, shared enough that I know that we should begin with the Great Battle and the discovery of Egeria's legacy. In addition, while you are telling me the history leading up to this momentous occasion, I will call the children forward so that they may begin to interact with the prospective hosts. You are sure that the prospective Lifemates truly wish to have a symbiote? They must not be forced."_

Kataya smiled and showed him the smiling faces of those waiting to become hosts. How anxious and proud they seemed. _"No, Darkyn, no one is being forced, of that, you may be sure. To each person that is here, it is considered a great honor to be chosen to host a symbiote. I will explain that as we go through everything as well."_

* * *

Sam stood next to the young woman as she sat on the sand with her hand in the water. There had been many symbiotes swimming by, but none had stopped at her to do more than touch her finger-tips.

"Why are they only swimming by us? I do not understand."

"From the way the information in the Temple explained it, the symbiote will sense their compatibility with the host. We've figured out that there may be two thousand or more symbiotes in this lake. It could take quite a while for the right symbiote to find you."

"It seems that they are somehow sensing you in the water, so only the symbiotes that sense an attraction to you will approach you. The others will stay away completely, allowing those that might possibly be your new Lifemate to approach you. Moreover, it is possible for you to feel as if you would not suit with one of them as well, as we explained to you. The ones approaching you are already having some response to you, something pulling them to come closer, to move nearer to you, but so far, none of the attractions have been strong enough for them to claim a true match."

"Please don't get discouraged. They're probably as disappointed as you are when they don't feel whatever it is that they expect to feel when they meet their Lifemate."

"I did not think of that. After all these years, it must be very disappointing for them."

"Yes, I'm sure it is. This will not be a quick process, I am afraid. But, at least you will know that, when you do join with your symbiote there is a very good chance that it will be a very compatible blending."

"It must be wonderful to have a friend always near. To never be lonely or lack someone to give another opinion when you have to make a decision. I have often envied my friend's mother, who has a symbiote. She never becomes upset or panicked. She is always calm, and she always knows exactly what to do. I so look forward to having that peace of mind. There are so many times that I wonder what to do when one of my children does their best to kill themselves."

"How many children do you have?"

"Four. Two girls and two boys. They are very… oh! She is nudging my fingers. Does that mean she thinks that she likes me?"

"I believe so. Let's see, I want to make sure that I have the instructions right. Okay, she may not make any real moves yet, because some other symbiote might claim you, too. But you are encouraged to touch and caress her to see if you feel comfortable – or uncomfortable - with her. If your feelings seem mutual, she may go ahead and claim you, especially if her feelings are very strong. If you feel any disquiet or discomfort at all, you should remove your hand."

"No, no, I do not feel any thing but awe. She is so soft. Oh, she wrapped around my wrist. What does that mean?"

"It means that if you accept her, she accepts you. Now you have to make the promises. She is promising that she will never shackle your body by letting go of your wrist. Next she will lift your hand to show that she will support you…"

"Now, we will go into the Temple and finish the blending. This is my mate, Martouf. His symbiote is Lantash, and they will help with the remainder of the blending. I will stay with you, too."

"Hello. Come into the Blending Chamber. The water flows through here and soon your new Lifemate will be here. See? Here she comes," Martouf, pointed out as he saw the symbiote enter they chamber and come toward them.

"Now, Aglade, I will help the symbiote to shed her outer body skin, so that she will be smaller and softer as she enters to join with you. After I have finished that, she will swim to you. If you still wish to consummate the blending, pick her up and caress her, place her back in the water and lie down on the platform."

"Very good. Now, close your eyes and open your mouth. Your symbiote will do the rest."

Martouf and Sam held their breath as they waited for the symbiote to leap. As she disappeared into Aglade's open mouth, they let it out slightly, but still waited to see how traumatic it had been. Would she lose consciousness?

Apparently not. "She is called Suianth." Aglade smiled brightly as she sat up. Oh, my. My head is so full of things that I never knew before." She laughed suddenly. "She says that hers is, too. And she wants to see everything. Colors, flowers, trees, people, animals, everything. Then," her smile wavered, "then she wants to fight the Goa'uld." Aglade nodded. "We will, too. My children were raised knowing that we might have to go to war, and we have had good years together. I am ready. It is what I have waited for."

She smiled again. "But, before we do that she wants to see everything else. Are we free to go?"

"You are free to leave the Temple but, if you wouldn't mind waiting until there is a group going back to Valdellon, it would be easier on everyone."

"No, we do not mind at all. We will go look at trees and rocks. Rocks on dry ground. Suz insists that she knows what wet rocks look like." Smiling brightly, she left them waiting for the next prospective host. They did not have more than a minute or so to wait. It had started.

* * *

By evening, they would have close to a hundred blended, if it continued at the present rate. It was going much more quickly than they had anticipated. Even so, from what Kataya learned from Darkyn-Threnn, there were more than two thousand Tok'Ra in the lake. When he found out that there were sufficient hosts, he was overwhelmed. Egeria left the memory of hosts being hard to find.

Merdwin contacted Valynara, and she came through with another two hundred and fifty people, leaving newly made hosts to continue contacting people to inform them that the time had come for their blending. They would be blending throughout the night in the Temple of Coreegadon.

Moreover, so far, only five had needed a link to assure the blending would be a success. In three, it proved to be a good thing that they asked; they would have been compatible only in a shallow superficial way. Their interests were different and in the end, they would have been bored and unhappy with one another. The other two had proven to be simply nervous. They were good matches, and once they had the confidence of their choice backed up with a third opinion, they blended and were excitedly happy once they did.

When Kataya mentioned to Darkyn that Valynara had joined them, he requested a link with her. She came at once, happy to link with any of Egeria's children that wished to do so.

_"I am Valynara. Your mother was very dear to me, and I loved her well."_

_"Her love of you was deep and true. She passed on both the concept of deep and abiding love and the ability to feel it deeply ingrained into our very being. We will love quickly and passionately. She also ingrained in us that the human body that we would inhabit was just that; a human's body. It is the Lifemate's body, but one which, under certain conditions, they would willingly share with us, and they would care about us, perhaps even come to love us as deeply as we would love them. She stringently stressed that it is not our body, and that fact should constantly be uppermost in our minds, for it is the most obvious way in which we differ from the Goa'uld. That, and our lack of desire for power or worship." _

He paused for a moment before continuing, _"She was quite adamant that our brethren would come for us, but many gave up hoping long ago. I, too, had begun to doubt the day would ever dawn."_

Valynara smiled at him, and told him softly, _"Your mother was a wonderful being, and you have much to be proud of both in her and in being her offspring. She overcame much to become what she did, for she was born and bred as a Goa'uld, which, of course, physiologically, she was…as are you and all of your kind. It took great determination and courage to change and become a beacon of hope in the universe for humanity." _

_"All of her children, your older siblings, those remaining, as well as those who have passed, love, respect, and revere her, and many others respect her for what she accomplished, as well as what she worked toward achieving. The people of Valdellon hold her in great esteem, admiration, and reverence; many feel great affection and even love for her, though they never met," _Valynara felt it best that Darkyn-Threnn, obviously the symbiote's leader, understand how very much the people of Valdellon longed to blend and have a symbiote. He would be able to assure the others that they were truly wanted.

She looked at him somberly, telling him quite firmly, her sincerity obvious in her voice, "_Darkyn-Threnn, you must understand that the people of Valdellon consider it the greatest of honors to become a host and have a Lifemate of their own. Those who are hosts are very much-respected members of their society. They have hoped for centuries to find you; it is a hope ingrained in each new generation. They longed to find that your brethren participated in the Great Battle, as foretold in a prophecy of long ago. One of their most ardent desires was to blend and fight the Goa'uld. You will never lack for hosts or soldiers. The hosts waiting to blend want them so much that they are excited and can hardly await their turn to find their Lifemate. Never doubt that, for it is a fact, I assure you." _

Darkyn answered promptly, _"Yes, and I understand that you did that for us over the years. We owe you much for that, not least of all our heartfelt thanks, which I now offer to you. If there is ever any way in which we can be of service to you, you have only to ask, and we will do whatever is within our power to do. Our love for you is deep and this has only deepened both our love and our respect."_

_"Thank you, Darkyn. I hope nothing that terrible ever happens, though."_ she smiled at him while sending him her own affection for Egeria's children as well as her love for Egeria.

Darkyn hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts before beginning his revelation,_ "Valynara, Egeria left a message for you, should I ever be lucky enough to meet you. First, I was to tell you that Egeria loved you more than she loved any other. You were often in her thoughts and she held you close to her heart always. Then I was to tell you that she gave birth to me alone. She named me Darkyn-Threnn, and I was to tell you to remember the wars and legends of the All and of Elvenia as well as the name of Drakon-Thronn."_

_"She also asked that I tell you that everything that happened to her was worth the time that she spent with you. You gave her more than she could ever tell you. She wanted you to know that still, after all these years, her love for you lives on in us, her children, for we love you as well. Through her children, her love for you will live forever. Et Aevum."_

It was an emotional talk for them. She stroked him for quite some time, while they talked of the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri. And as they talked, he learned of _Sam_ and _Martouf/Lantash_, _Malek/Devlin_ and _Gwennetha,_ _Jacob/Selmak_ and _Jocasta/Daur'rin, Merdwin_ and _Janet, Artereos_, and _Gwynnivar, O'Neill, Teal'c,_ and anyone at all that happened to wander by, catching their eye, and causing him to ask questions. And so, at last, _Kataya _…and _Daniel_.

* * *

"Well, that's over, at least for us. I think that the new Tok'Ra can handle the remainder, and they can contact someone if something happens and they need help."

"I agree, Selmak. I see no reason for us to remain now. There are enough of the new Tok'Ra that we can go back to our search for the little Queens and others of our brethren that might still be waiting to be found."

"Absolutely. As exciting as this is, I believe that we would be of more use there than here," Lantash replied.

"Well, we're packed up and ready to head out as soon as you guys are done yammering," Sam said briskly, as she hefted her pack and watched Martouf frown. She laughed and turned toward the gate. Kat, Gwennetha and several other women waited patiently for her. As she strode toward them, she was aware of the silence behind her, followed by swift footsteps and rapid scrambling as the men hastily gathered the remainder of their belongings and camping gear. They were on their way back to Valdellon.

* * *

"Another excellent meal, Val. I have to say that as interesting as the last few days have been, they have made me more anxious than ever to continue the hunt for the Queens. I am looking forward to resuming looking through the legends as well. I hope to find some more information on the Elvinsten'ien Wars."

"Selmak, if you are truly interested in those ancient wars, Artereos has tomes of legends and histories. I will be happy to obtain some of them for you, if you wish," Merdwin replied.

Selmak nodded his agreement. "I would appreciate it, thank you. I will use them for light reading at night, before I go to sleep."

"I believe that I am going to retire to the library and look through some of the material that we have. I am not yet terribly tired, and, perhaps, it will help me to become sleepy," Kataya announced quietly.

As the group generally agreed on what to do with the remainder of the evening, they drifted off in different directions. A few hours later in the library, Kataya, Merdwin, and Val talked quietly. The hour was late, the night quiet and beautiful, when they decided that bed was where they should all probably be.

"That sounds like a good idea, Val. I am looking forward to sleeping in a bed after these last few days, but I do not think that I can sleep well anymore without my Daniel by my side."

"I very much doubt you will have to do so for more than tonight at most, _Carusawyn_. He will be here by tomorrow night. He will be just as anxious to return to you as you are to have him return," Merdwin murmured as he held her, stroking her hair.

Kataya leaned into his body enjoying the feel of him, as she always did. It was a familiar, comforting feeling. "Yes, he will be here soon, _Amat_, and Janet is waiting for you. Daniel will not stay on Coreegadon any longer than is necessary to finish the last of the translations. Once he found that treasure trove of information hidden behind that panel, he had to finish it. Moreover, as close as he was to completing it, there was no point in him dragging it back here. He will be back by tomorrow night. Come, let us part tonight on a light note. The time will soon come when we may not feel so light of heart. We know that there is darkness gathering, and that we must be prepared to meet and defeat it."

Merdwin sighed, and then acknowledged her words, "What you say is true, _Coeurawyn_. Therefore, we will keep watch and be prepared, but tonight we will not think of that. We will, instead, dwell on the goodness that has happened in the last few days and that continues even as we speak."

Valynara yawned and shook her head at herself. She must be more tired than she realized. "I am off to bed, as well, Kataya. I will be around tomorrow, but I will also be going back to check on our new hosts. Sleep as well as you can without your Daniel for one night."

"Good-night, Val. Thank you for everything."

"You are most welcome, _Amat_. Good-night.

Merdwin grinned and then bowed with a flourish reminiscent of a long ago era, before taking her hand and gallantly kissing her wrist. "I will bid you good'even, as well." Then dropping his teasing demeanor, he concluded," However, Kataya, _Adorata Coeurawyn,_ I will return tomorrow, and as I promised earlier, I will be remaining until this has been resolved."

"I wish that I did not think that it was necessary, Merdwin. I hate having to take you from Janet any more than I already have. It is not fair to you. However, no matter that it is not, still, I will accept it gratefully, for I do believe that it will become necessary, and unfortunately, I do not know when. Therefore, though I am not sure it is necessary yet, we will enjoy your company and help. This time, you will be able to help more than you could before. And, I am very glad that the situation between our daughter and our sons-in-law was resolved happily."

"I could not agree more, Kataya. Now, you should go to bed and rest. Whatever the future brings concerning _Egeria's Legacy_, will wait upon tomorrow."

"Yes, you are right, and it will. I will rest. Go to Janet. Good'even, Merdwin, Lord of Werllockian." Kataya smiled cheekily up at him.

Merdwin kissed her gently, and then again bowed low with old world elegance and grace, before saying, his voice at its most seductive, "And may you find your rest filled with peace and beauty, Kataya, Lady of Cadwaellon," just before he disappeared. Kataya laughed. It had been many centuries since Merdwin had attempted to do that. She wondered where he ended up this time. She certainly hoped that he had been practicing. Shaking her head, she decided to take the stairs instead of the transporter.

* * *

"Hello, love, how are you holding up? Have you rested at all? I tried to hurry, but Malek and I began discussing the ritual of the blendings. The manner in which they blended fascinated him, and he was very drawn to it. I must admit that Lantash and I were, as well."

Sam sat up against the head of the bed, telling him, "Yes, I was, too. The fact that it's actually done with observers is very different from the way the Tok'Ra normally do it. I was impressed with the acceptance of both the host and the symbiote at all stages of the blending, or birthing, as many called it." She smiled at him in the soft light coming through the open windows. "I've been waiting for you to come to bed, Martouf. Why would you think that I would go to sleep without you?"

"I did not truly believe that you would; I only hoped that you might get some extra sleep. As excited as we were to find our siblings, I must admit that I am glad to be back here to begin our search again. I am also glad that I have you in a bed, at last," Martouf informed her solemnly.

"I've been in bed every night. You should know; you've been sharing it with me," Sam whispered softly.

"Samantha, you know that is not what I meant. I am glad that I now have you in a real bed instead of on the floor of a temple, or in a tent on the ground. I have been worrying, from the day that we went, that you would come to harm, or the situation that we found ourselves in would be too hard on your delicate condition," As he spoke, he easily slipped back into nervous, worried, father-to-be/anxious mate mode.

Sam laughed at him, but gently, as she caressed his face, loving him despite, or perhaps, because of, his sweet, caring ways. His fear for her was so stark, and yet, he made no effort to hide it from her. He wasn't afraid to allow her to see how very much he cared, how much it would hurt him, if something happened to her.

She sighed as his lips hovered over hers, and then softly settled to caress them gently. She felt the change from Martouf to Lantash as the kiss deepened. He would let his actions speak first, then after the passion, he would whisper of his care for her welfare. They were so different and yet so alike in so many ways. Moreover, she loved them both with a love without end. The kiss ended, and his arm loosened around her, surprising her for a moment, but he pulled her up onto his chest and cradled her there.

"Samantha, you know that we only wish to care for you and protect you. Caring for you is all that we can do at this time. Do not attempt to take that from us by making light of our fears for you and the kits."

"No, I won't, Lantash. I think that I understand, and it is okay with me, really. I was just thinking a little bit ago how wonderful it is that the two of you show me how much you care and worry. How really special it is that you don't try to hide that fear from me, but allow me to see how much these babies and I mean to you." She sighed softly, as she stroked his chest.

Then looking up at him, her face, and voice, were very serious as she asserted a truth to them, "You know, I remember the day that you walked through the Stargate with my dad, and I looked up and _knew_ that I loved you. I was so astounded and thrilled. I promised myself before you arrived that if it proved to be true, and it was me, Samantha Carter, that loved you, I would tell you, and never look back. I haven't, Lantash, not even once. I love you more today than I did that day, and I will love you more tomorrow than I do today. Clichéd, but it's the honest truth, nonetheless."

She paused before continuing, "Yet, a lot has happened since that day, _Amates Wyn_. You and Martouf have both given me the unconditional love that I thought I'd never have. You've stood by me through mind-links, finding my sister, a bonding ceremony, a wedding ceremony, becoming a Katteri-enti Warrior, and changing into the Dragon of the Star, fighting a Dragon Sorceress, and leaving you, for heaven's sake."

She gave them a small but softly loving smile. "And after all of that, here the two of you are, still standing by my side, still loving me, still caring for me, and already, I've managed to drag you into a Furling mating ritual that you weren't prepared for. Now you're going to become fathers, and are living through horrible morning sickness, food cravings, and emotional mood swings that probably drive you both crazy. I don't know how I got so lucky, but I'll never stop being thankful for the day that I seduced you into my bed and my body. I want to do that from now into eternity. So, don't ever stop caring, fearing, and being there for me. It makes me very, very happy."

He levered himself over her, settling between her thighs to lie cradled there. "I speak for both of us when I say that we will never forget that day, my Samantha. Nor will we ever forget any of the other things that you have mentioned, for each one of them brings a memory that will be with us for all time. Some are wonderful, and some are not, but all are aspects of our relationship with you."

"But the sickness, the food cravings, and the mood swings, a trial that I find especially hard to deal with, I assure you, those things, in the end, will be cherished as will the others. Those final three memories will be special in a different way, as well, because they will also pertain to our children. Moreover, as uncomfortable as all of these things are, we would not change sharing this experience with you for anything in this world or any other. Please, believe that, Samantha, for it is quite true."

Lantash caressed her cheeks and hair before continuing, "We do not know where the search for the little Queens will take us. Nevertheless, wherever it leads, we will travel there together, if not physically, then mentally. We hope that we never have to part again, Samantha, though I know that we would survive, just as we survived before. Just as you would survive, if we were gone. We never want to do so again, however." He kissed her sweetly.

Sam took a deep breath, before saying, "Lantash, there is something that I need to tell you. I should have told you and Martouf before, but I hoped that we would know more by now. That is not happening though; the images aren't any clearer now than they were a week ago, so it was decided that we would slowly start preparing all of you now."

"I have sensed that you, Kataya, and Merdwin, are holding something back. What is it?"

Sam sighed and kissed him. "We're seeing a darkness on the horizon of the _Mirror of the Mysts_. But…there is more than that. Kataya has been having "flashes," images that are very out of focus. She can't tell exactly what they are, but she's getting feelings with them. They concern the Queens, the Tok'Ra, the Tau'ri, the Furling, and possibly the Goa'uld. As I said, she can't tell that for sure. However, she says that there is brutal and bloody battle, and treachery involving the Tok'Ra. She knows that no one here is involved in the treachery. If they were, she would have felt it. So, if that thought even entered your mind, put it back out."

She felt the tension leave him. "Thank the All. I was afraid. Never mind; it does not matter. What does she suggest, and why did she not tell me?"

"She didn't tell you because she felt that it was my place as your lover and your wife. She couldn't comfort and take your mind off of it the same way that I can. Moreover, she suggests that we don't do anything right now. Merdwin's staying here and will assist us, like he did before."

"We could ask for no better than he, Samantha."

"I know. Without him, I might not have returned yet, and Kataya might never have recovered. I don't want to think of that. As for the other, that's all I really wanted to tell you about that, and I wanted to get it out of the way before we made love, so I didn't have to bring it up afterwards." She ran her fingers down his chest. "There really isn't anything that we can do now, _Beloved_."

"Whatever the future holds is wrapped in the same mystery as Egeria's Legacy, and it will become clearer as time passes and we uncover more information, just as her legacy will. We will find them. It's just a matter of when now, not if. But for now, let's forget all about Egeria for awhile."

"The only thing that I want to look for and discover tonight is how wonderful you look in the starlit sky and the washes of color that are streaming through the windows. I want to feel your lips on mine. Yes, Lantash, just like that. Mm. Yes, Martouf, just like that, as well. Come my lovers, and take me to the places that only you can."

"We will be happy to do so, Samantha, _Amat_. We will take you to the heavens, and visit the stars, and when we return with stardust in your hair, we will kiss it away, and then begin the journey again. Would that please you?"

"Yes. Yes, Martouf. That would please me very much."

* * *

Darkyn swam slowly and silently along the shore of the lake. It was a beautiful night. Much like the night that he was born according to his mother. He remembered his mother quite well. She had returned often to give birth, to small clutches of symbiotes at first, and then, as time went on, the clutches became larger.

She had known then that her time was becoming shorter. It had been a long period of time between the last two times he saw her. She had been placing her offspring in different places. Moreover, she had given birth to several daughters. However, not even to him would she divulge their whereabouts.

She would often talk to him when she came, but it was not until her last appearance there that she had told him anything of significance pertaining to him. That time, she had told him about his _human _father. Only, he was not _human_ at all. At least, he was, but he was also something _other_.

She told him that he had a special path in life and that when the time came, the minute he came anywhere near his Lifemate, he would know him. In that belief she proved to be correct for he knew him at once. The moment Daniel walked into the water; he was sure. He thought he felt it before, but once Daniel entered the water, he was sure. However, his Lifemate did not intend to blend. Well, he could not force him, but fate had a way of making things work out, as they should, so he would be patient. Sometimes, destiny changes our paths for us.

As for his human-other DNA-donor father, he knew very little about him. She had meant to tell him more, but she never returned, and Valynara did not know who he was from what he had managed to find out in their link today. The link was something that he could do with little or no trouble. It was an odd ability for a symbiote, no, a Tok'Ra, as he must become used to calling himself. No matter.

What had he been thinking? Ah, yes, his father. A man long dead, no doubt. All his mother had ever told him was that he was the handsomest man, human, other, or as he was, both, that she had ever seen. Hair black as a raven's wing, eyes as blue as a sorcerer's jewel, skin the color of pale golden honey and a voice that could seduce a woman just by saying hello. He was tall, muscular, but slender, with a grace when he walked that few men could equal.

He was a master of seduction, with a manner that could charm, entice, and enthrall, but which never lent itself to breaking women's hearts. Moreover, he was a lover such as she had never known before, a true master of a woman's body. As he never claimed a woman's heart, he never gave his heart away. He never gave his because the woman that he worshiped loved another.

Ah, and there was one more important fact that she had let fall. He was a powerful, important, and well-respected man among his people, a sorcerer, or perhaps a wizard, of great power. She had sworn that his coloring was from his father's DNA, for he was a golden color rather than the darker shade of his siblings. Perhaps she was right. He had never really seen himself, so he could not know.

When he blended with Daniel, he would find out if he had inherited any of his father's traits. Whether he did or not was really irrelevant, but they were all he had to go on to try to find out about him. She seemed to believe that his father would be known forever. A man considered a wizard or sorcerer two thousand years ago, no doubt, went down in legend. Exploits of that kind would have been written into myths, stories to tell to children. Surely, he would have made some of the history books, or possibly books of legends and myths.

His interest in history and Daniel's should make searching tomes of history for mentions of men with those traits and features easier. However, that was not for tonight. Tonight, he would rest among the rocks by the shining pool, so named for the way that both the sun and the stars reflected from its surface.

Yes, he would go to the shining pool. Sometimes, Daniel came there to sit and think. Kataya often joined him, but Kataya would be gone this night, back to Valdellon, so Daniel would be sitting on the rocks and contemplating what they found during the day. He would go and keep him company for a short while. Perhaps link with him and begin to become acquainted.

He knew that Kataya told him that Darkyn believed that they were Lifemates, as she had said that she would. Therefore, she did not break her word. Honorable, then, as was Daniel, and Daniel had said that he would consider it, though he had not planned to blend just yet. Someday, yes, but not just yet. Which was more hope than he expected.

They were highly compatible, though Daniel did not yet know it. Darkyn had fallen in love the moment that Kataya had touched him. Much as he had with Daniel, when he stepped into the water. Both events had surprised him with the depth of the feelings that they engendered.

He and Daniel were both interested in history and languages. He was not sure, since his experience was limited, but he felt, from his links with Kataya and Valynara, that he would enjoy the same things that Daniel did. In fact, he was quite sure of it. He was already very curious about the things that he studied. He was perhaps more of a warrior than Daniel was, but that was to be expected, and he could tell that Daniel was becoming more warrior-like through his experiences with the Goa'uld. He believed that they would find many more things in common. He really hoped that fate stepped in soon. He had been alone now for two thousand years, and he was more than ready for his Lifemate, his Soulmate and his Heartmate. He had been ready for years, centuries in fact.

He swam on toward the shining pool, contemplating the future as he went. No one knew what the future held in store, but it was sure to have some tie to the quest for _Egeria's Legacy._ Of that, they could all be sure.

The End

**_Daughters of the Queen _**_is the **Third Story in The Tok'Ra Legacy Series. **The **Fourth Book **of the series,** Legacy of the Queen, is a Work in Progress at this time. **Due to interference from Real Life, it was on hold for a very long time, however, I am now writing on it again and hope nothing else interferes with its progress. Feedback is welcomed and appreciated. It is the only thing that lets me know I should continue the story._

_Pagan Twylight_


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